Valentine's Strife
by Pale Meadow in the Moonlight
Summary: My life has been long and hard, just as many men can say. But I imagine that mine is a certain measure longer and more difficult. VincentXmultiple people. YAOI! Don't like don't read! M for a reason!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my sick and twisted mind that comes up with these evil plots.

Warning: Tragedy and Vincent being put through lots of pain. Physical and otherwise. Eventual yaoi, rated M for general content and future intense content.

Lotsa pairings in this one... since Vincent is technically an elderly man... 50 something by Dirge of Cerberus. Three are definate, other ideas are welcome.

* * *

I was told from the beginning that it was my fault.

"It's your fault that your father is dead."

That was my mother, when Father died taking a bullet aimed at me. I couldn't have been more than five. The shooter had been terrified of me, haunted by my red eyes.

"It's your fault that we live off of whoring."

That was her when I was ten and she sold me into prostitution to a whore house that was particularly infamous for cruelty.

"It's your fault that we're starving to death."

That was when I had just turned sixteen, and hadn't brought enough money in that month. That was the day I decided to become a Turk.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm getting right into the meat of the story, not much background info. Vinny will tell you about it all when he's ready. ;)

* * *

On my first day as a recruit, the commander asked us all individually why we wanted to join. There were only ten of us, being as how the Turks were picky even for base recruits, and very few people wanted to do the work that was typical of the organization. I was last in the lineup, and in the time it took for him to reach me I had come up with what to say.

He stood in front of me and smirked. "Will you glorify your reasons like the rest did?"

I looked him in the eye as no one had yet to do. "I have several reasons, sir." I had expected to need to bark out my words like in the army and SOLDIER, but the commander had claimed it to be annoying and unnecessary. "I wish to become someone that my father would have been proud of, and my mother can rely on. I wish to end the suffering I have seen throughout the plates, especially in the slums. I wish to earn respect and fear from those that would once throw me in the dirt. I wish to no longer be looked down on and I wish to be a respectable person in my own eyes." I heard muttering from the other Turks waiting to begin our training. "That is why I will become a Turk."

The commander stared at me for a moment, seeming to size me up.

I remember that he had been an avid protester to prostitution rings.

"If being a Turk makes you more respectable than what you were before, I sincerely hope you make it to the top someday, Valentine." With that, he left us to our new mentors, who would train us for the next three years.

His name was Brendon Falcon. He was the picture of the perfect Turk, with his pressed black suit and close-cropped blonde hair.

He spoke with me on numerous occasions, whether in his office discussing my recent performance, or in the training rooms discussing my form. One day I received notice that I would be promoted to full Turk standard. I hadn't been so proud of myself in my life.

As it was I was the best recruit among us, and was the only to be promoted so far. I never accepted how much better I was, but it was obvious in later speculation. Trust me; I had plenty of time to think about it.

To be promoted, I had to complete a mission. It seems simple enough, but none of us had yet to go into action, so it was a big deal. Commander Falcon called me into his office the day before the mission.

As I sat in the chair across from his desk, he shuffled around piles of paperwork. "Shinra is always riding me about all this useless junk," he had muttered quietly. His bright green eyes glanced around the desk for somewhere to move the stacks to. He had always hated paperwork.

I smirked slightly as I hurriedly tied my hair back. It was shoulder length, and it had become an annoyance when it hung in my face. "Sir, you wished to speak with me?"

Commander Falcon looked up from his shuffling, as if he had noticed me for the first time. "Oh, yes. I wanted to brief you on the mission tomorrow." He eventually set everything in a pile on the floor, sighing as he looked at a paper with the official Shinra stamp on it. "You will accompany me on a highly dangerous, completely unnecessary assignment. We will break into a terrorist base, and destroy it by means that Shinra has ordered." I stared at him in confusion. "Lots of bombs and shooting and running in circles like chickens with our heads cut off. Seems simple, but we're taking out the biggest terrorist association around. Have you ever heard of AVALANCHE?"

I nodded slowly. "A group that believes Shinra Inc. is draining the Planet. Their members excel at all forms of offence, defense, and tactical maneuvers, but only because each member is highly specialized. The main advantage that they have is a large base, many members, and a close bond with each other."

"Absolutely correct," he stated with a grin. "That is who we have to take out. I have confidence in your abilities, but death is a clear possibility. I would not blame you if you told me you were scared, Valentine. I would expect it from anyone still human. So, are you sure you want to take the promotion now? You can always wait for a safer mission."

I shook my head, knowing that no matter what, Mother would still receive money. "If I become a Turk, my pay will spike enough that my mother will live comfortably for a long while. If I die trying, she will receive all of the insurance money, and still live comfortably." I resisted the urge to look away. After all, I was a Turk. Showing that you were uncomfortable was against the law or something. "It's a win-win situation."

Falcon stood and moved around the desk, carefully stepping over the paperwork on the floor. He stopped inches in front of me, just staring. His eyes were completely blank, even to someone like me who was almost an expert on reading eyes.

So fast that I didn't have time to comprehend it, he grabbed my collar and dragged me up, holding me a few inches from the ground. I didn't struggle, because it would be useless. Besides, I must have deserved it for something. He tossed me roughly into the bookcase, scowling as I remained limp and obeying.

"Why won't you fight back? Do you really not care what happens to you?" He crouched next to me and pulled several books from where they had fallen on top of me. "If you have no drive to live, you can't be successful in our line of work." I still said nothing as he poked a bruise on my cheek that was just forming. "I still find it odd that a Turk bruises so easily," he muttered.

I looked him squarely in the eyes and something in my gaze made him lean back. "It is what made me so popular in the slums, sir. Whether for bullies or sadistic brothel patrons, I was always the most popular." He absent mindedly poked the bruise again as he stared at me.

"You were almost homeless before you came here, right? Your records don't mention it, but I do my own research on my underlings." I closed my eyes and kept my face impassive. "Don't do that," he said fiercely and I opened my eyes in mild surprise. "You don't need to hide when you're here with me. Your past doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned."

His eyes showed flashes of emotion, but they centered on concern and pity. I bristled at the thought of being pitied. I was fine, as far as I cared. "I do not require your pity, Commander. Far worse has happened to less capable individuals. I do not wish for it to make an effect on your expectations, unless it means for you to set them higher." I stood calmly and started walking to the door. "But let me assure you, I need no pity. After all it was my fault to begin with."

I left the room, barely registering the secretary handing me the briefing papers. It didn't matter; I would get the mission done regardless.

I made it to my quarters without incident, and sat quietly on my bed, reading the paper in my hand. It was then that I realized just how ridiculous the plan was. Falcon was right, there _was_ going to be a lot of bombs and shooting and we _were_ going to have to run around like chickens with our heads cut off.

For some reason, I was excited.

* * *

Reviews are very much wanted.

If you can guess the end pairing, maybe I'll put one of your suggestions in the story. But only the first five correct guesses get this once in a lifetime opportunity! Hurry before time runs out!


	3. Chapter 3

It'll be a short chapter since this is the third chapter in an hour to go up and I still have another short one to put in tonight.

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With the night came nightmares and I was highly embarrassed to be having them. I was a Turk, for Gaia's sake! If six years of forced prostitution gave me nightmares, what would ten or twenty years of Turk missions do? I shuddered at the thought and went to shower before meeting with Commander Falcon for the mission. We would leave at first light and travel to the AVALANCHE base thirty miles outside of Niblehiem. It was situated in the mountains, and we would have to hike there.

I packed up my weapon bag, and donned my uniform. The hiking gear and everything else would be provided and strictly standard for rookie mountain climbers. If I was honest, despite my heritage, I had never even seen a mountain. Shameful for a Wutain bred man, but I had been raised in Midgar's slums in Sector 7. We just couldn't afford to take that trip when my father was alive, and my mother refused to consider it regardless. I knew the Wutain language and culture, though, so I could easily fit into society there.

Besides my eyes and how I was raised, of course.

So I left to the commander's office again, and caught him as he was leaving. He looked at me tiredly. "Vincent, it's good to see you're ready early. I was just on my way to pick up the supplies from storage." I followed him as he shuffled to the storage room not far down the hallway. It was always entertaining how muddled the commander was in the early hours of the morning, but we all knew that as soon as the prospect of danger arose, he was awake and alert.

He asked me for my size, and then proceeded to search the room for the proper gear and such. It took almost thirty minutes of searching, but we finally had all of our gear together and packed away. I was fully ready to leave then, but Falcon had other ideas.

"Do you want to visit your mother before we head out of Midgar?" I thought for a long while as we walked swiftly to the garage, heading for the commander's motorcycle that we would be riding. I got on behind him after we had loaded the packs.

"If you do not mind, I believe that would be good. She will not be very welcoming, but if I die without saying goodbye, it would haunt me." He nodded, and told me to let him know where to turn. We wound through morning traffic and down the road to the lower plate. I pointed to the right when we got to a small dirt road to an apartment complex.

We slowed down in the parking lot, and I took a calming breath. I had a strong feeling that I shouldn't be here, but I couldn't turn back without losing face. I headed up the stairs slowly, thinking over what I would say to the woman who raised me, who I hadn't spoken to in three years. I stopped in front of the door and turned to the commander who had followed.

"I'm not sure how she will react. If you would like to wait outside, please feel free." Falcon just shook his head and gestured to the door.

I knocked loudly, knowing that she wouldn't hear otherwise. Soon enough, we picked up grumbling and shuffling inside before the sound of bolts and locks being turned. The door opened and there she stood, in all her trashy, poor, slightly plump around the middle glory. She sadly was still wearing the old rag of a dress I had once made for her between customers. I had sent my last paycheck to her, but I could be sure that she wouldn't mention it. So I was lucky to have brought a large roll of bills to use as a peace offering.

Her eyes narrowed before she stepped aside. As soon as I set foot inside, she spoke. "What are you doing back here, boy? I thought you'd be gone 'til you die and they send for me for the funeral." I shook my head and glanced at Commander Falcon.

"I'm going on my first mission tomorrow, and if I stay alive, I'll be a Turk."

She opened her mouth in surprise. "Your _first_ mission?" she hissed. "What have you been doin' for three goddamn years?"

I took a breath and looked at my hands. "I was in basic training. The first mission is the exam for graduation, so to speak. After this, I can," I said as I pulled out the money, "support you better." She snatched it away and counted it.

She glared. "You're shitting me," she shouted. "You made more than _this_ in a week back here!" She was getting louder by the word and Falcon was starting to look uncomfortable. "We could be rolling in cash if you had stayed at the Black Mamba! I had to start working there when you left!"She tore at the front of her dress, by the oddly bulging stomach. "It's your fault I have this thing growing in me!"

* * *

Poor Vinny's gonna be a big brother! Random thing to put in, but it'll come into play later.

And we have a guest appearance next chapter! Who will it be...?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here but my computer. Since my mind is currently being inhabitted by evil writing monkeys that want to make me write steamy lemons for poor Vinny...

Vincent: Don't call me Vinny. And why are the monkies evil again?

'Cause you aren't frustrated enough yet.

Vincent: ... I think YOU are the evil one...

* * *

I turned and hurried to the door halfway through, but my hand hadn't reached the handle. Falcon put a hand on my shoulder and guided me out of the door. I jumped the railing and landed on my feet six stories below, stooping to punch the ground.

I straightened, stepping over the small crater my hand had caused, waiting by the bike. I regretted my little tantrum, but I wasn't sure how to deal with it.

My mother was pregnant. All because I had left to find a better life without her. A gaudy carriage pulled in and stopped nearby. A large man stepped out and looked at his phone angrily. Then he glanced over at me and his jaw dropped. "Is that you, boy?" He stepped closer, squinting. "It _is_ you! Vincent Valentine, it _has_ been a while."

I saw Falcon exiting the building, reaching for his gun. I glanced at him and told him _stand back_ with my eyes. He nodded and stayed as he was, weapon loose in his hand. I looked back the owner of the Black Mamba blankly. He didn't seem to like that.

"How in Ifrit's balls did a kid like you get into the Turks?" he asked, spittle flying from his lips. I spent the time to wipe my face with my sleeve before I answered him.

"What is your business with me, Don Corneo?" His face turned red with rage and he grit his teeth. I remained impassive throughout.

He stalked, or rather he _tried_ to stalk, closer. "When you left, I lost my main source of profit. I made _hundreds_ off of you every day! How many clients is that, huh? Seven clients per day at the beginning! No one else had that much stamina. At ten years old, too!" He froze and started yelling. "Now what do I have? A pregnant old woman, three girls who can only take two clients a day _tops_, and a simpleton boy who's got three diseases!" He was turning an unhealthy shade of purple.

I still hadn't changed my expression. "I hope you realize," Falcon said with false humor, "that while my young friend is not yet authorized to make arrests, I am fully capable of putting you behind bars at that admission." Don Corneo turned to the man with a sneer.

"But you'd have to arrest him for being a prostitute."

I glanced at the ground, taking a deep breath. Falcon surprised me then. "But from what I've heard, he was just a victim." The fat man growled and backed up. "But since all we have is a bike, and no cuffs, it'll have to wait till we get back from our assignment." He then proceeded to shoo Don away.

I saw him glance around for a bit. I was surprised when he put his arms around my shoulders, saying, "Well that was a fiasco that could've been easily avoided." He sighed and we walked back to the bike.

* * *

Awww... Falcon is so niiice...

Vinny should stop encouraging the evil lemon monkies and let me have my fun, ne?

Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

We left Midgar then, heading north. We rode all day until the sun had nearly set. He pulled off of the road, and I slid off of the bike stiffly. When he turned back to me and flashed a grin, I couldn't stop my lips from curling up at the edge.

We walked with the bike until we were well hidden by the nearby forest. I offered to take first watch, so Falcon leaned against the bike and dozed. I took the time to start a tiny fire, only big enough to illuminate a few inches. Then I climbed into a tree to wait out the night.

It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that I thought to switch watches. Just as I leapt lightly to the ground, I heard Falcon mumble in his sleep. Curious, I waited to see if he would say anything. After a few moments, he started to whimper, which almost sounded pained, but it turned into a deep, husky moan.

I almost laughed at it all, but I didn't want to wake him. I thought he might not be so happy if I interrupted his dream. I returned to my spot in the tree, only half paying attention to him. I heard muttered phrases, all of which highly obscene. Based on word choice, I gathered that whoever he was dreaming about was male, which made me laugh softly. I also gathered that he was, as my people put it, seme.

He tossed and turned as I assume he was reaching his climax. It was then that I noticed that there was a rustling in the bushes. I drew my gun and aimed at the spot, making sure of its position and firing just as it leapt out of the brush and Falcon cried out in his release.

"Ah, Vincent!"

The Nibel Wolf crumpled to the ground and Falcon leapt to his feet, staring down at the bleeding form. He looked up at me holstering my gun. He seemed almost frozen as he watched me jump down and drag the corpse out of the way. I looked at him and smiled. "Sorry to interrupt your sleep, Commander. Perhaps it's time to change watches now?"

I lie down and curl up on my side in the spot Falcon just was sprawled out on. As I closed my eyes, I heard him climb up into the tree and settle in for the night.

Just before I fell asleep, I remembered my nightmares and prayed that I wouldn't give anything away. It was far too embarrassing.

But it was useless, since the nightmares came anyway.

_I'm standing before a small crowd. Its auction time again. Mr. Corneo holds one every year and people bid on us. Next to me is my friend Abigail. She's around twenty, and she's like a mother to me. She's the first to come running if yell for help when a client is being especially cruel. She's the first and only one I run to at the end of each shift, and we cry together._

_ Mr. Corneo is standing at a podium and gesturing to each of us in turn. Now he's pointing at me. "For all of you who've had the pleasure of a night with the Valentine, you can attest to his worth. For the highest bidder, you will get two weeks with him, with pleasure unimaginable. No holds barred and no questions asked." He is looking out at his rapt audience._

_ I'm looking out too, and all I see are lustful eyes, fiery stares, and cruel smiles. I wonder who'll buy me this year. Today is my fifteenth birthday, and I wonder if Mother has gotten me a present this year. I guess that she hasn't._

_ Now the bidding has started and my price is skyrocketing. Now I'm up to 40,000 gil. Now someone is calling out 50,000. Now a man is walking up to the stage to claim me. He looks cruel. He is looking at me like I'm prize cattle he has just bought. As far as Mr. Corneo is concerned, I am. He is now taking me away, dragging me by the arm to a carriage pulled by a sad looking chocobo._

_ Now I'm in his bedroom, and he's putting me in chains. I'm holding back a giggle at the cliché beginning of my two weeks with him. Now he's hitting me with a metal nightstick. I'm crying because it has an electric shock. He's saying it's called a "magrod" and that he invented it. He's saying that he's a Turk. I'm confused and decide to find out what a Turk is._

_ He is starting to whip me. I can feel blood running down my now naked back. Now I realize that I won't get back home without my first scars._

_ I know that Mr. Corneo won't like that._

_ Now the man pushes his magrod inside me._

I woke up fast, and saw that the sun had almost risen.

* * *

So there's a bit of background info from Vincent's troubled past. It'll probably get a bit action-y in the next chapter or two. And maybe a hint of why it's rated M...

Thanks to Noitavlas () for the first review to the story! *cheers and fireworks*

I'd like at least 10 reviews by chapter 20. Yes there will be at least 20, undoubtedly there will be at least 30, and I hope to stick around to 50.

Next one will be in by next week!


	6. Chapter 6

It's been about a week and I want to thank forevermare for reviewing. You made me remember that I still had to write the chapter. I thought for some reason that it would write itself...

It's short again. Sorry!

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Falcon already had some semblance of breakfast ready, and the smell of cooking wolf meat made my mouth water. Thinking back on it, wolf isn't the most likely food of choice in the early morning.

I walked over to the fire and frowned. What was a Nibel Wolf, native to the area around the Nibel Mountain, doing an entire continent away from its natural habitat? I voiced my concerns to my commander.

"Well, Vincent, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe there's a smuggling operation going on? I don't see why, and it definitely wasn't tamed." Falcon wasn't looking at me. I was still a little shocked at finding out that I was the one he was dreaming about. It wasn't uncommon, so it was only slightly surprising. Hmm, that sounds more than a little conceited, doesn't it? I don't mean to sound stuck up, but it's true. There were a lot of men who found me attractive. It just hadn't crossed my mind that the rather kind older man would be similar to them. Actually…

"Hey, Falcon? Can I ask you a personal question?" He looked over at me and I saw a bit of dread in his eyes. He must have thought I would confront him about last night. He nodded slowly. "How old are you?"

He smiled and laughed to himself. "I'm twenty-three." I looked up at him and squinted, frowning.

"I can see how you might be if I looked closely." He laughed some more, and I dug in to the food he handed me. After we ate, we set off on the bike again. By late afternoon, we would arrive in Junon and spend the night in an inn near the port. In the morning we would head out to sea.

The drive went off without a hitch, and by 7:30 we were checking in to the inn. Turned out that they only had one room left, and it had only one bed. Falcon seemed a little perturbed about that, and I smiled to myself. As we went upstairs, I could see that he was trying to think of a way to get out of talking to me about what I had heard. My heart was racing, and I assume it was from nervousness. But I felt my eyes wandering, and I wondered if Falcon really was like my old patrons.

The walk to our room seemed endless as I sorted out my feelings. I smiled, quickly realizing that I found him rather kind and attractive. Even so, I didn't want him to touch me, or find out how afraid I was of men.

In fact, I was ready to sleep in the closet to escape having him know.

Yes, I feel ready to admit to you that after everything up until that point, I was morbidly terrified of men. That Turk that had bought me had irrevocably damaged me and I didn't want Falcon to know that. But I trusted him enough to be truthful. If necessary.

Falcon unlocked the door and we saw a small space with a queen sized bed and small nightstand. We set down our packs and he sat stiffly on the bed. He looked up at me just standing in the middle of the room. "Let's get this over with," he said patting the spot next to him.

I had the vague desire to run back to Midgar and hide. _But what do I want to hide from? From Falcon?_

_ Or from my past?_

* * *

The next one may or may not have hints of why it's M...

Who knows what my mind will throw up next?


	7. Chapter 7

I'm back with another chapter! Yay!

Let's see what's in store for Vinny next, eh?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sometimes even my crazy mind doesn't belong to me...

* * *

I sat stiffly next to him, and heard him sigh.

"I know you heard me, you're not oblivious. It would take an idiot not to hear that." I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and strove to remain stoic. "I tend to… sleeptalk and sleepwalk. It's gotten me into some embarrassing situations. The dream surprised me, to say the least. I mean," he said with a chuckle, "it isn't like I wasn't attracted to you before, I just hadn't dreamt of you."

I turned to face him fully. He had his eyes averted and he had a nervous smile. I didn't have anything to say yet.

"I know you must not be very comfortable around me now, and I encourage you to sleep here in the bed, because I will gladly sleep in the closet or the bathroom." I looked in his eyes as they met mine, trying to see if he really meant it. "I have never been able to work doors in my sleep."

I looked at the open door to the bathroom and saw that he could not be comfortable there. Somehow that made me unable to let him. "No, it is alright," I said quietly. "If you come after me, I can defend myself." I grinned as he caught the humor in my voice.

"Yeah, I guess you can."

My grin faltered and I gazed out of the small window. It was time to tell him something. "Falcon, I am attracted to you as well, but I don't feel that I can be with you." I sighed and gathered my thoughts. "I used to live in the Sector 6 slums, as you know. My father was shot when I was young and when my mother ran out of money, she sent me to work in a brothel." Falcon shifted to gaze out of the window as well. "I was just a frightened kid, illiterate and friendless. I was apparently so beautiful that that particular brothel skyrocketed.

"I had up to seven clients a day every day and they were nothing but rough. Abigail was my only friend. I was hurt many times, and she was the only one who would come when I called for help." I noticed a sting in my eyes and closed them. "At the age of fifteen I was sold at auction for two weeks of no holds barred entertainment. A Turk bought me and I was put through all manner of torture. Then he bought another two weeks. And then he refused to return me. I spent three months in his clutches. I came back scarred in every way humanly possible.

"I'm much too frightened to give you what you want." I opened my eyes to the sight of him standing up and moving to the window. "I refuse to be hurt that way again."

He stood at the window for a long time. Just as it became uncomfortable enough to try to break the silence, he spoke. "Who was the Turk." It sounded more like a demand, and I treated it as such.

"The inventor of the magrod."

He turned to me and frowned. "Aiden Rochefort?" I nodded. He walked over and kneeled in front of me. "You are beautiful. I care about very much, and I am not offended that you wish to keep your distance." He gently took my hand. "I would wait forever to show you how I feel."

I stared into his eyes for a while. _Maybe someday I can let him._

I smiled. "I don't think I could wait quite that long."

After we had both showered and had gotten into bed, it took me a long time to fall asleep. I kept running Falcon's words through my head trying to find deceit in them. I couldn't. We were both shirtless but he hadn't commented on my scars.

Then I felt him shift to sit up. I noticed that his eyes were half closed and dilated, a bad sign that he was still asleep. He reached over to me and mumbled something incoherent. Keeping a wary eye out, I slowly crawled out of the bed. Feeling my movement, he lunged after me with a frustrated growl. As he grabbed me, I reached for my gun I had sat next to the bed. I pressed it hard to Falcon's temple.

His eyes fluttered and cleared immediately. He froze and closed his eyes, taking in the feel of the cold metal to his warm skin. I steeled my expression and climbed out of the bed with the weapon loose in my hand. He opened his eyes and watched as I moved over to the window and sat beneath it.

He cursed softly and got up himself, moving over to the bathroom and closing the door behind him. "Falcon?" I asked so soft that I wasn't sure he could hear me. The only sound coming from the room was his muttered cursing at himself.

I lay down in the bed and closed my eyes. It was going to be a long night.

I was entirely, damnably right. Just as I finally fell asleep, I had the same dream from the night before. Only one thing was different. Falcon was there beside me, and I also watched him endure what I had to. Just as Aiden Rochefort filled me with his magrod, I saw the same happen to Falcon. When he turned on the electric charge, Falcon's face twisted in agony and he screamed.

I bolted up with a strangled cry leaving me. Falcon burst into the room with his gun raised. All I could do was stare at him and chase away the dream image's face from my mind.

I put on a small, shaky smile, and shook my head. "I have sleeping problems too."

He sat next to me heavily and sighed. I was surprised that I didn't jump when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap. We stayed there for a rather long time, my head tucked beneath his chin and my hands resting on his chest. It struck me how calm I was despite the closeness. "It shouldn't be like this." He tilted his head slightly. "Turks can't become attached to anyone or anything. In our profession, we could be killed or they could be used as hostages or for revenge."

He chuckled. "But we have an advantage. It's our job to be put in danger, and we are trained to survive it. So if something happens, we can come back from it with only minor damage."

I tilted my head up to look at him and saw him smiling warmly. My heart sped up, it was so loud that I thought he would be able to hear it. I know my eyes were huge when I saw him getting closer, but he was barely inching along, making sure I wasn't going to pull away.

Like I would ever dream of it.

I reached behind his head and jerked him down, closing my mouth over his. Falcon let out a muffled moan and his weaved his hands through my hair, knocking it out of its tie. He ran his tongue over my bottom lip and I gasped, feeling more than I ever had before. He shifted to straddle my waist as he explored my mouth. His hands moved to my chest, and they wandered to play with my nipples. Soon he had me writhing and moaning, maybe even whimpering.

It was shameful for a Turk to act in such a way, but I really couldn't care less.

Then Falcon reached for the button on his pants. I felt a wave of panic crash over me and I pushed him off with my elbow. He fell to the bed with a shocked "whoa" and caught the edge to keep from falling off. I rolled off the bed and to my feet, backing away.

He looked up at me sadly, with a rueful smile. "Sorry. I went too far."

I shook my head. "No, it's alright. I'm just… afraid. It isn't your fault." He propped himself up on his elbows.

"I have slept more than enough for one night. You sleep for the last two hours and I'll go out and see what clothes we can buy for the trip. Civilian clothes, you know?"

I nodded and went back to the bed he vacated, somehow sleeping easily before he even left the room.

And the funny thing? No nightmares.

* * *

NO! He pushed Falcon away just as it was about to get good!

Hehe... I told you all it was only gonna be a hint...

R&R please! Any suggestions are appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

Eh I'm back after such a long break. I was pretty busy but I finally got it in!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Ever. I don't think I even own me. OH! I do own Falcon though!

* * *

When Falcon woke me at dawn I felt better than I had in years. I was rested, content, and I had someone there beside me. It was heaven; until I remembered how and why he left last night.

I frowned and looked over at the clothes he had bought. For him it was faded jeans and a white shirt, along with a black leather jacket. He was already wearing them. Me? I got jeans with holes in the knees and faded on the inner thighs. Then a black shirt and brown leather jacket completed the ensemble. I got up and he smiled. "How'd you sleep? No more nightmares, I hope."

I shook my head and stretched, popping my spine. He sat down on the only chair to lace up his boots, which were also unfamiliar. I walked up behind him and draped my arms across his shoulders. "Breakfast first or are we eating on the boat?" I felt him shiver and relax back into me. I grinned and decided to make up for the night before. I dipped my head and nuzzled his neck, sighing softly.

He took in a shaky breath. "It leaves at two in the afternoon, so how about we go out to eat?"

"You mean like a date?" He nodded and I kissed his neck, lingering a little more than necessary. "I'm sorry about last night," I said against his skin. "I don't feel comfortable going so far as that, but I'm up for a little playtime."

He shivered again and I pressed a burning, openmouthed kiss to his neck. I trailed it to the front of his throat, craning my neck even further to move it up to beneath his chin. I traveled slowly up further until I reached his lips and he latched onto my mouth. I turned my body to climb into his lap and straddled his hips. His hands fell gently to my waist and his tongue probed my mouth. We broke away with a gasp, and he was panting with his eyes closed. His lips were forming words but he wasn't making a sound. I kissed him on the nose and climbed off of his lap, and turned to sift through the clothes he brought.

I took them and went to take a shower. That was uneventful so I'm sure you won't care if I skip over it. I came out in my new clothes and Falcon was still sitting in the chair. He looked over and I walked to the door. He still stared blankly.

"Hey Falcon, food?" I said with a smile. He jolted out of his seat.

"Oh yeah, food." I laughed as we headed out of the inn. We spotted a little outdoor café across the street and headed over.

Gongagan toast and scrambled chocobo eggs for him, and pancakes and hash browns for me. It was fun, we had a good time. He liked to make up funny stories about the other customers, and I swear if I laughed any harder we would have been kicked out. By the time we finished, we had to run back inside to gather our things and load them back on the bike.

We rode to the ferry, loading the bike on and getting our room. This time there were two beds, though they weren't necessary. Falcon leaned on the railing with his face to the wind, while I looked instinctively towards Wutai. I still wanted desperately to go there someday. "Watashi wa ie ni kaeri tai..."

"What do you mean by that?" I hadn't realized that Falcon was paying any mind to me.

I turned to him and smiled. "I want to go home…" I looked back in the direction of my country. "Watashi wa kiri, farukon e iki tai. Suru koto ga deki masu watashi-tachi wa itsuka iku? (I want to go to Wutai, Falcon. Can we go someday?) I've never been." Falcon just nodded and smiled, turning his face back to the wind.

"Vincent, what do you think about that new thing, the airship? I have always wanted to fly."

I walked over and draped an arm around his waist. "I think it's just crazy enough to work. I mean, our engineers are incredible. I'm sure you'll get to fly soon."

The rest of the trip across was pretty quiet, and we arrived in Costa del Sol before the sun even set. We decided to get a couple miles in so we could take our time on the road. We drove the bike straight out of the resort town. About two hours later we stopped for the night. We would buy supplies in Gongaga the next morning.

Falcon and I sat back to back next to the fire. I was drawing in the dirt, but I wasn't really paying attention to what it was. It was quiet and I heard a Nibel wolf howl in the distance. "Hey Vince?"

I turned back to him."Hmm?" He grabbed my hand that was drawing and threaded his fingers with mine. I looked at what I had drawn and saw me from when I was little. I was crying.

"Do you like to draw?"

I nodded. "Music is calming, but drawing puts me in another state of mind. I can be anything I want to be, do anything I want to do. If I draw memories that I can't forget, it puts them to the back of my mind."

He started to say something but we heard a tree branch snap somewhere nearby. We pulled out our guns and got ready.

* * *

So R&R please!


	9. Chapter 9

I heard Falcon whisper behind me. "Remember our training sessions. On three."

I remembered exactly what that meant. I tensed only slightly.

"One…"

I cocked and readied my gun as he ran a hand along his. I heard faint, quick footsteps. Lots of them.

"Two…"

We sprinted. Weaving around the trees and running full tilt, I still easily took out a largish man in camouflage aiming a rifle at Falcon. I didn't even fire. Falcon leapt at another one with a machine gun. I gave a roundhouse at one coming up behind me and ducked beneath a bullet. I heard the machine gun go off and hit the ground. It mowed down the two in the distance that had been aiming at me.

I looked up and saw that it was being manned by Falcon now, and kept on the ground. He fired into the trees and I heard a body hit the ground nearby. He sighed and threw the gun down. "Hey Vince you okay?" I gave myself a once over.

"Not even their blood on me." He chuckled and stuck his hand out and pulled me up. "So who were they?"

He shook his head. "Escaped convicts, by the looks of them. That, or deserters."

We headed back to the camp quietly, listening for more. "I think that's all of them," I said softly.

He looked back along our path. "This is a promising start to our journey, I'd say."

I laughed. "I don't know if I should be relieved or concerned."

I heard another howl and looked to it. He knelt down next to where my drawing was. Sticking out of it was a little piece of metal with a stylized "A" on it. Someone drew a wound across my younger selves' throat.

I sighed. "Dammit."

I heard another branch snap above us.

I fired blindly into the leaves, strafing as much as I could. I sensed people moving in from all sides, and started firing into the trees. Falcon was standing still, calm if not accepting. There were a lot of them and there was no way even the two of us could get out alive. I looked at him and he smiled. We were Turks.

Turks don't talk.

The company was safe, though we were as good as dead. No one would come for me, I knew that much. And they would kill the commander first.

I had accepted that. I turned the gun back to Falcon. He was about to return the favor but I shook my head. One of us needed to get caught to buy time for the rest of the company. I aimed carefully and pulled.

* * *

That was a thriller! I guess, kinda, not really.

Gasp! Is he really gonna kill Falcon?

R&R and I'll post the already finished CHAPTER 10!


	10. Chapter 10

_I turned the gun back to Falcon. He was about to return the favor but I shook my head. One of us needed to get caught to buy time for the rest of the company. I aimed carefully and pulled._

The gun clicked softly. I was out of ammo. And Avalanche had caught up to us.

I lashed out at the nearest one, but they surrounded me and grabbed hold of me. I saw a woman bring a rifle down on my head.

I woke up hurting. It felt like my arms were being pulled out of their sockets and I was hit by a truck. When I opened my eyes, I realized that I was hanging by my wrists in shackles attached to the ceiling. I was naked and alone in a blank, beige room. The only color was from a little red light on a video camera. It was blinking.

I felt someone coming up behind me, and soon felt the lash of a whip on my back.

I didn't cry out, I didn't even blink. I couldn't show them any weakness.

My captor leaned close and talked into my ear. "Hey there, Valentine. I remember you from Midgar. You were so talented with your tongue." I didn't recognize the voice, but I didn't have to. I knew he was one of the rough ones.

When I didn't respond he fondled my ass. "Of course you wouldn't remember me. You were so popular you must have done every man in the city twice. Little whore you were, huh?"

My face didn't change as I stared at the wall. I wouldn't look at the camera.

The whip cracked against my skin. "Know your place. Answer me when I talk to you." I stayed silent and felt the whip lash again and again. I let my thoughts wander to distract myself. I just hoped he wouldn't rape me.

My fears were realized soon enough, and he tore me roughly. I winced before steeling my expression again. When he was done he whipped me some more and left. I assumed that they wanted to break me before even asking questions. I had no sense of time, and quickly got really, really bored. I fell asleep as blood dripped on the floor.

When I woke up again, I was surrounded by men. I had a bad feeling about that, but I kept my face blank. I retreated into myself as they started. Even so, all I felt was pain. But I never showed it. I couldn't let them have power over me.

It lasted hours. When they were through, one of them turned off the camera and removed a tape. I guessed it was to send as proof they had hostages.

Then they started asking questions. The chains were electrically charged, and when I didn't answer, they powered the shock up. Every time it was worse. When I finally screamed, I was coughing up blood and my insides felt like slush. They gave up, and left the first guy to take me down and put me in a chair for the next session. He took advantage of the situation of course.

When he unchained me, I made a split second decision to escape. I lunged, kicking him square in the chest, which made him stumble. I brought down my elbows on his skull, which cracked softly.

I collapsed next to him and took his pants. I crawled to the door and hauled myself up, whimpering pathetically. My body was rebelling; it felt like my organs were rushing with blood and sparks. The door opened quietly.

There was no one in the hallway, but that wouldn't last long. Plus, I had to find Falcon and get him out. My heart was pounding slowly and painfully, and I had shooting pains running along my left arm. I knew that I must be going into cardiac arrest, but I couldn't stop. I spotted a small air vent that I would probably be the only one small enough to fit, unless they had children working for them. I unscrewed it and placed the grate on the ground.

Choosing a door identical to mine across the hall, I threw it open.

The men interrogating Falcon rushed out at me. I sprinted shakily, hearing my commander shouting after. I leapt at the air vent I had opened. Fingers narrowly missed my ankles as I sailed through, hitting the metal hard as I started inching forward on my elbows.

"Koko kara, farukon jigoku o nyūshu!" (Get the hell out of here, Falcon!)

They thought I was taunting them, so tried to throw themselves in with renewed vigor.

I knew that Falcon would be able to get loose and get out before any of them stopped trying. But just in case, I would find him and provide a distraction.

I crawled for what felt like hours, and once I had to stop to pump my own chest to restart my heart. I passed countless grates but looking through them I hadn't seen Falcon. But eventually I reached the end, and through it I saw men guarding a door to the roof. But what alarmed me the most was seeing the commander watching them from an adjacent hall. He swept his eyes and they locked on mine, blue to red, and I saw that he wasn't nearly as bad off as I was. I saw that he could make it home easily.

I curled and twisted till my feet were at the grate and I kicked out with all my might. The metal hit the smallest of the pair and sent him flying. I dropped out and kicked the other in the head on the way down. Falcon knocked them both fully out and tossed a handheld machine gun to me. We opened the door and ran out into the bright sun.

He pulled out a phone. "Hey, we're on the roof. We need pickup NOW!" He turned to me and gave me a once over. "We need to get you treatment. What's worse?"

I tapped my chest. "Cardiac arrest," I said with a weak voice. "I had to restart it once already."

His eyes widened and he checked my pulse. "Right, you'll be fine as long as we can get you to a good doctor." He glanced around and at the sky. "What else?"

I looked too. I went into a monotone. "Electric charge, internal bleeding, wounds from whips, severe rectal tearing." He growled.

"How the hell dare they?" He turned his head when a mechanical humming could be heard in the distance. They were coming in from the mountains. At the same time I heard shouting coming from the roof entrance.

I shoved Falcon behind me and aimed the large gun. Just as they came into view I started firing, and a huge structure came buzzing across the sky. It was the airship we were talking about.

A few slipped by the rain of bullets and were inching closer. I would have swept it across them, but I saw a mob gathered at the base of the stairs out of range. The airship hovered over us and a rope ladder unrolled. Falcon hesitated. "Go!" I shouted over all the noise. "I'll cover you!"

He shook his head as someone started firing from the bridge of the ship. I nodded and he started up first. I grabbed the communicator and shouted into it. "Go! I'll provide cover fire, just get the commander out of here!" I heard an affirmative.

The airship started drifting away, gathering speed as they pulled up the ladder and Falcon. He was shouting after me, and I had run out of ammo. I stared at the retreating hulking form and blew a kiss.

* * *

Nooooo! They listened to him! He's stuck there!

I might get the next one in tonight, but if not it won't be in till Saturday night or Sunday.

Please review! I'll take flames all day as long as I get something!

I only have 3 reviews out of the 10 I want by chapter 20.


	11. Chapter 11

Ha another short chapter!

Sorry bout that but I liked the end so whatever.

* * *

I was shot at and beat and raped. That was just the first hour. After that they dragged me to a cell somewhere four floors below. I sat with my legs crossed and sighed. The best thing to do would be to kill myself; but with what? All I had was a rusty nail that happened to be on the ground nearby. I could dig out my jugular but that would take forever. I could hold my breath till I suffocated, but that was risky. If I had a gun I would be perfect, but they wouldn't give me one of those.

I sat there for the longest time but nothing came to me and while I was in intense pain, I knew that I had to stay. If they had me there, they wouldn't need to go after any of the rest of the company. I sighed again.

My heart was slowing again. I didn't know how long I would last. It wasn't much longer before I was coughing up pints of blood. I might as well have been dead.

The cell opened as I collapsed, and I saw dress shoes coming closer. My eyes travelled up to rest on the face from my nightmares. I chuckled. "Well, looks like I wasn't cut out to be a Turk, huh?" He looked coldly down at me and pursed his lips. "What's wrong, Rochefort? Magrod got your tongue?"

I laughed again, blood trickling from my lips. I didn't know why he was there, that's how far gone I was. I just wanted to die laughing at him.

He picked me up and wrapped me in a blanket, before he carried me out and I looked around at the majority of the Turks. They were all armed and aiming at guards who must have been watching my cell. I looked back at Rochefort. "Where's Falcon?"

He didn't answer me but kept walking. I saw every member of Avalanche lying dead as we left the building. I realized with great surprise that the Turks had come back for me. I felt the world spinning and black was creeping in on my vision. The last thing I heard was Rochefort saying under his breath, "Whores should stay in the slums."

I opened my eyes to bright white light. It took the longest time to see beyond that. I saw that a doctor was drifting among machines that I was hooked up to. The heart monitor was infinitely loud. The doctor saw that I was awake and hurried out of the room. He came back with Falcon and he looked worried. The doctor unhooked the breathing machine and left.

"Why did you tell them to leave?" he asked quietly. It was silent for a while. He knew exactly why. "You did well." He took on a formal tone now. "You did what you could to resist capture in an ambush, and in fact fought valiantly. You escaped in impossible conditions, resisted horrid torture, and rescued your partner despite your own injuries. You showed the qualities of a true Turk operative." He rested a hand on mine. "You did it, you're one of us."

I smiled. "I did, didn't I?" My voice was terribly weak and quiet, and I tried to clear my throat. "How am I?"

He sighed. "Lots of bed rest for a while, but you can leave the medic ward in a few days. They stabilized your heart, but you'll have some meds to take for a while to make sure you don't have a heart attack. Besides that you have pain meds and sleep."

"So what ever happened to the tape they made?"

He backed away a few steps. "They had sent it here as a hostage tape. The guys down in recon had to watch it in case they could find out anything about the group." He looked away. "They made me watch it too. It was horrifying."

I looked at him sadly. He must have thought I was even more repulsive. He looked back and knelt beside me. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I should've and I didn't. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "No, I wanted to make sure you got out. It isn't your fault that I told them to leave." I chuckled. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

He sat in a plastic chair next to the bed. We were quiet for a long time and I was starting to drift off.

"Can I kiss you?" I looked over at him in surprise. I had almost forgotten he was there.

"Yeah."

He stood and leaned over me, brushing his lips across mine. My heart jumped erratically and the monitor went nuts. I grabbed his head and brought it back down for more, until the doctor rushed into the room. He gasped and apologized, running out blushing deeply.

I chuckled and went back to what I was doing.

* * *

Awwwww so cuuuuute!

Vincent: Would I really do that?

The younger, wanton you would.

Vincent: I wasn't really wanton...

Do you want the lemon monkeys to win the argument?

Vincent: Hell yeah!

Then you were wanton. Deal.

Thanks forevermare and Aeris1172 now I'm up to 5 reviews!


	12. Chapter 12

LEMON WARNING! My first one so don't be too hard on it! There will be forewarning, so you'll know when to skip and where to skip to, if you have a thing against the not-so-evil lemon monkies.

* * *

After only three days in the medical ward, I released with armfuls of pills. I wasn't going to bother with the pain pills, so that narrowed it down by half. They had used this new medicine, called potion, to jumpstart the healing process. The major injuries were nothing but scars by then.

Falcon told me that he was having me live with him until I wasn't in any danger from my heart. I was fine with that, since he had an extra bedroom in his dorm. We all lived in the HQ but Falcon got a larger set, being the commander and all.

He didn't have a second-in-command yet and it was a position well fought for. The committee we had set up recently had started considering candidates. They were announcing them later today.

I knocked on my boyfriend's door, and he grabbed everything I was holding. I saw him put them on the counter attached to the small kitchen. I looked around; there were candles lit on the table and two places set. He dimmed the lights and rushed back to the stove. I sat down in the spot that was facing him and watched him scurry around and knew he wasn't used to cooking.

I saw chopsticks next to the plates and smiled. "So we're eating Wutaian tonight?"

He turned back to me with a small grin. "The best I can do is that instant ramen stuff. So that's what we're having," he said happily.

He served the ramen and sat down. We toasted and started eating; it really was very good. We had light conversation, light laughs, and light wine. It had almost no alcohol in it, which is about all I could have with the medication. After dinner we laid down on the couch together. I was leaning my back on his chest, and one of his legs was bent on the couch, the other dangling. We were happy to just be.

It wasn't long before he kissed the top of my head and trailed kisses down to my neck. I shuddered, but I wasn't afraid; it was a good shudder. He misinterpreted it though, and pulled away. I turned my body to face him and ran my hands down his chest. I closed my lips over his and he stood to pick me up. Our lips never parted and I moaned when his hands slid over my ass.

In the name of Shiva… I can't believe I'm telling you people about this. He says that I should since it's a significant turning point in my life back then. I'm going to write a couple stars at the beginning and end of this, in case you don't want read about it.

***WARNING!

He pulled away for a moment. "Are you sure?" he asked nervously. I growled and pulled him back, nipping his lips. He chuckled and carried me into his bedroom. I started kissing his neck, getting some small groans out of him. He placed me on the bed and shrugged out of his collared shirt. I pulled mine over my head as sexily as I could. It worked as he almost pounced on me, trailing his hands over the newly bared skin.

He started to lick and nip all over my chest, trying to find my sensitive spots. He dipped his tongue into my bellybutton, and for some reason that felt good enough to make me moan loudly. He chuckled and did it again, as if giving me a preview of what he'd do later. I dug my nails into his shoulders and brought him up to kiss him again. I felt his arousal against my leg and I rubbed against it, hoping to get him to realize I wasn't afraid.

Even as he moaned while I grinded against him, I knew that I had to initiate the next steps if we'd ever get anywhere. I reached down and popped the button on his pants, pulling them down roughly. He gasped, and he looked surprised as I shimmied out of my own. I wasn't wearing underwear, and I pulled his off, while kissing down his chest. I ran my tongue over his nipple, making him shudder. I moved further down, until I hovered over his fully erect cock.

I ran my tongue in the slit, tasting the salty precum. I slowly lowered my lips until I had him deep throated. I put three fingers to his lips and he took the hint. He sucked them and made sure they were thoroughly coated. I took that hand and trailed it down my torso, right to the back where I spread my legs and started to finger myself. I felt his cock twitch in my mouth and kept going, until it was so good that I was really starting to moan. He was panting, and pulled me off of him. I laid back and let him do as he wished, which happened to be positioning himself. We locked eyes, blue to red once more, and the first thrust wasn't as bad as those I'd had before. He was gentle, even stopping to make sure I'd adjust. I moaned to tell him to move; I couldn't wait any more. His thrusts were still slow and gentle, so I brought his head down to mine to look right in his eyes.

"I want to feel you so deep in my core that my heart feels it."

He complied and hurriedly picked up the pace. I shifted slightly and saw stars. I had never felt that good and it was a shock to my system. I moaned and panted, calling out his name; he looked like he was too far gone for words. He brought us to the edge and let us teeter there, not wanting to let go yet. He had me reduced to breathless begging. "Please,… please Falcon, I'm… almost there." He gave one last hard thrust, before he came together, my seed splattering our torsos and his filling me.

He collapsed next to me, breathing hard. He took a towel he had next to the bed and tried to clean us off; it only kind of worked.

***WARNING ENDED

We were startled by his phone ringing. He rolled out of bed and ran over to pick it up before the caller hung up. "Yes, Commander Falcon here." He nodded, and then looked annoyed. "Is that really necessary? He's supposed to be getting bed rest." I chuckled. The bed part was right, but the rest wasn't gonna happen. "Uh huh, alright, we'll be down."

I stood and got dressed in my uniform. I had to make sure I was in perfect Turk form. I passed Falcon's bedroom mirror and took in what I saw. I had bruising over my right eye and cheekbone, and a cut down my left cheek. It didn't hurt really, just didn't look nice. But I had terrible sex hair.

I dug through my luggage for my brush, and had to fight to untangle all of the knots. I heard Falcon laughing.

"You'll pull out all your hair if you keep tugging like that." I glared at him and finished up.

"So where are we going?"

He opened the door and we started down the hall. "They're announcing candidates. I have to be there to approve and announce them." I smiled. I was glad that I'd be able to find out so soon. "They want you to come with me for some reason."

I shrugged and nodded to a man who used to be in my training group. He saluted us. We finally got down to the main HQ, and the whole committee was gathered around the board room. They saluted Falcon and headed in.

The head of the committee ushered in two other Turks. One I had never seen before and the other was Rochefort. They told the three of us to stand in the back. "Well, I think we've decided who the three candidates should be, but we need your approval, Commander."

Falcon nodded and motioned for them to proceed. The head of the committee gestured to us. "Well, the candidates are Royland Gentrie, Aiden Rochefort, and Vincent Valentine." I looked around at them, confused. He smiled. "Well, Vincent, you have shown all qualities necessary of a Turk. Your first mission turned into such a disaster that even Commander Falcon would have been lost. But you fought bravely and you didn't just escape, you rescued the commander while your heart was giving out from severe electrical shock." Falcon looked over at me proudly. "You saved him while sacrificing yourself. That is something that even the most loyal Turks might not do."

Rochefort glared at me out of the corner of his eye. I ignored him. "But surely a senior operative would be more capable," I said encouragingly. "I have next to no experience."

"You're wrong." It was the other Turk, Gentrie. "You successfully made it to find your target, you survived an ambush, you performed a successful rescue mission, you resisted forceful interrogation, you survived under impossible circumstances, and you stand before us cut and bruised in impeccable uniform."

I glanced at Rochefort who looked to be seething in his fury. I looked to the committee. "I accept the nomination. Thank you."

* * *

Yay! Vincent pissed off Rochefort!

This chapter is longish compared to my usual ones. R&R please!


	13. Chapter 13

HELP!

I need help from you guys! Look at the end note please!

* * *

After it was announced and decided, I still didn't believe it. We were getting ready to end the meeting, and the committee saluted me. It was a big change. Rochefort didn't salute, of course. As he passed by me, I decided to use the power I had been granted. "Rochefort. You once told me that whores should stay in the slums." The room went silent. None of them had known about my past before I was considered for second. "But how would you know what I used to be?"

The men in the room muttered speculatively. The older man growled. "It was obvious what you were when you first came in."

I huffed. "Such a well mannered, eloquent young man that I was, couldn't fool you, right?" He looked embarrassed. "Get out of here. Behave like a proper Turk and maybe no one will ever know." I turned away and walked to the front of the room. I was ready for the job.

The rest of the members left, mumbling about their theories. Falcon was still looking proudly at me from his seat. I smiled at him. "How was that?" He stood and hugged me.

"Perfect." I laughed and wiggled out of his embrace.

His face fell. "Now we really have to be careful. If anyone learns about us, there could be a scandal."

I rolled my eyes. "How bad could it be? Plus, that doctor knows. It would've been hard to miss."

He looked troubled. "If you say so. Let's still be careful, I don't want your position to be in jeopardy."

We went back to his rooms and got ready for bed. We decided that we might as well sleep naked, since the clothes could come off at any moment. It felt nice to curl up next to him and feel his arms pull me closer. He and I slept excellently, no nightmares and no sleepwalking.

I woke up to his phone ringing. I shook him awake and he jumped up, running for it. I had told you that he wasn't a morning person unless he was needed. The phone ringing counted as being needed.

He answered without a trace of sleep in his voice. "What is it that can't wait until morning?" He frowned. "Go on." He was looking terribly grim, and I let my head fall back to the pillow. "And?" He sounded incredibly annoyed. "He's healing, for Gaia's sake!" he shouted. I sat up. "Dammit, I will not allow this crap." He listened for a moment. "Fine."

He looked back at me and motioned me over. I picked up the receiver and sighed. "Yes? What is the problem?"

A man's voice came over the line. "There has been a request for a challenge for you. Aiden Rochefort believes that he is more capable of being second in command, and wishes to prove it in a fight."

I laughed. "What is this, Wutai? I've never heard of such a thing here in Midgar." The man chuckled and agreed.

"By his challenge, you must fight in three days. I'm sorry, sir, but he has invoked a formal declaration."

I told him that I accepted and hung up. Falcon was pacing the room and shouting about how I'm supposed to be healing, not fighting to the death. I went back to the bed and curled up under the covers. He was still shouting. I looked up at him. "Shut up, Falcon, we'll talk about it in the morning."

He looked at me in near awe. I realized that I had never raised my voice to him. Ever. "Alright, if you say so." He just stood awkwardly for a while. "It's only an hour till dawn. I'm going to get some work done."

About an hour later I smelled something burning. I opened my eyes and prayed to my long dead father that Falcon wasn't trying to cook, and the apartment was on fire. I bolted up, threw on a pair of pants and dashed into the kitchen, fearing the worst.

It was the worst. Falcon was cooking, and the eggs and pancakes he was attempting, they looked more like extra crispy bacon. It was bad.

He looked at me desperately, and I started laughing as I turned off the stove and dumped the pans under the running faucet. I turned to him. "Let's make a deal. No cooking for Falcon."

He chuckled and nodded. I found some more pans, some more eggs and all the ingredients for homemade pancakes. I got started while he cleaned off the mess on the others. There was a banging on the door. We heard a faint voice on the other side. "We detected smoke in your apartment, sir, is there a problem?"

I went over while everything was calm and not in danger from Falcon attempting anything. I opened the door and looked at the technical security apprentice. He was young and really jumpy. "No, everything is fine. The commander was trying to make breakfast and, well, it didn't work as such."

The techy-to-be giggled nervously, nodded, and ran back down the hall. I turned to Falcon. "You need to never touch the stove, oven, or any pots and pans, ever again. I'm nervous about the toaster, too."

He turned and stuck his tongue out at me.

* * *

IS ANYONE READING THIS?

If you are I need help. How old do you think Tseng is in the original game? Can he pass for 33ish?

LET ME KNOW!


	14. Chapter 14

Yeah it's short, and it's been a while, but I'm back on it. I'm working on three other fics, two of which I haven't even started to post yet. So if it takes a while to update this and the other one, then at least I'm working on _something_.

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Rochefort's challenge was in three days. I wasn't concerned, despite his advantage in age. I was Wutian, and if I wasn't a natural at hand to hand combat I would be struck by lightning. Repeatedly.

So I went to my new office and set up my computer. I had taken tech classes in my first two years, and I could put up a good security system. I put up two dozen password points, seven anti-computer bypass sites, four layers of firewall between each access level, and fake pass sites with enough classified warnings to be called "hacker-nip." As soon as they were accessed, the computer would freeze and set up a data wipe of those areas that would then freeze and send high alert signals to the tech crew, who would alert me. It wasn't foolproof, but it would confound the casual hacker of the time. Nowadays, even the casual hacker could get through that easily, but then again I can put together better security.

That only took up a few hours, and I had gotten bored very fast. I decided to go down to the training rooms and put in a few hours of work so I can be ready for the fight. As I passed the observation window overlooking the main sparring section, I saw a few recruits that had come in about a year before. I went to the nearby locker room to change into sweatpants. I entered the room and the instructor present shouted at them to quiet down and stop goofing off. Two of them had been wrestling playfully, and they were doing fairly well. I smiled at them as they snapped to attention.

"No need for formality with me," I said lightly. "I came down here for a bit of practice."

One of the recruits frowned. "For your fight, sir?" His instructor, who happened to be one of mine from my training, scowled and berated him.

I rolled my eyes. "That's enough, because actually I am practicing for the fight. I've only been up and around for about a day, and I need to work off all the crap they forced me to eat."

They chuckled and the recruit saluted jauntily. "The name's Showecker. Do you want us to spar with you?"

I grinned. "That was the idea. Let's start slow for me to warm up." I stepped onto the rather huge mat and took up a loose stance. "How about two of you? That should be fine."

They glanced at each other and the instructor shook his head knowingly. Showecker and a rather tall fellow stepped up across from me and settled into rather pathetic attempts at stances. I resisted chuckling, and let them get ready. Showecker, the cocky bastard he was, charged me with a wide punch. I wanted to cry it was so pathetic. I shifted my head and the fist went miles off. I ducked and shot a kick into his ribs and sent him flying into the back wall. The tall one didn't seem one to back down, and cautiously approached me. I stayed in my crouch from the kick, foot still in the air and everything. It was simple to lure him closer like that, letting him think my next move needs him there. I twisted and jumped over him.

He froze and I heard him swear under his breath before I landed on his back with my hand lightly on his throat. "There, maybe that will teach you not to be so cocky."

Showecker stood shakily. His pride seemed ruined. He bowed to me and cleared his throat. "Sir, I apologize for my behavior. I shall not act in such a manner again." The instructor grinned and thanked me.

"Now that that lesson is over, are any of you good with weapons?"

After five hours of training with the recruits, I headed into the showers. They all shared a friendship that was very rare in the business. I had a feeling that they'd not make it past the first mission.

Showecker asked me all kinds of questions about my scars, about the mission, about life in the slums. I found out that he was from Kalm, so he didn't know what it was like. It was strange being called "sir" and being looked up to like that. I went back to Falcon's apartment and started cooking dinner. He never came home that night.

The next morning, I made enough breakfast for two, but again he still hadn't come back.

I worked in my office on some discipline cases for a few misbehaved Turks. He wasn't in his office either. After another training session with Showecker and a few older recruits from my class, I went home to find him asleep on the couch. I frowned and covered him with a blanket.

I had my challenge tomorrow. I had started getting jittery and nervous. I had hoped to spend the evening with him, and tell him about my fears. I really needed to be comforted. But instead I quietly heated up leftovers and ate sitting on the floor in the kitchen. When I was done, I went into the bedroom and sat on the floor against the bed. I pulled my knees up, hugging them to me, hoping to reassure myself.

About an hour of my racing thoughts went by and I looked up as the door opened. Falcon leaned against the doorframe, rubbing his eyes. I waited for him to look at me before I stood and went to hug him. He wrapped his arms around me and we just stood there for a while. He picked me up and carried me to the bed, where I fell asleep clutched to his chest.

He didn't need me to tell him that I was afraid. He didn't need words to tell me that he knew, and that he had faith in me. It was my eyes that gave me away. It was his heart that reassured me. It was also these that let us say what we had never dared to speak.

_I love you._

_

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_Aw... I realized that they haven't said that yet, have they? I can work with that...

R&R please!


	15. Chapter 15

I know this is terribly short, but I wanted to get to the next step in the plot. Those of you who've been waiting for the fight... well you got it. Not as eventful as you hoped, probably, but Vinnie is just badass like that.

Thanks to **ForeverFire13 **for the review, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And slightly frightened of sporks aimed my way...

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The gruesome fact is that Rochefort was strong. And I wasn't exactly ripped, and I was only nineteen. If he got past my guard, I would have some bones snapped. I could fight with a broken bone, but it would hurt like hell.

More than two or three bones would have to be my limit.

Falcon and I walked down the bland and monotonous Shinra halls, and I straightened my tie. I would fight in my uniform, just as Rochefort would. But I might lose the tie; it felt like it was choking me.

The large training room was cleared out, and almost every Turk in the business was lined up behind the observation windows the next floor up. The mat was removed, letting us get our footing better. The off-white walls and the beige floor combined to make the two of us stand out immensely. I saw Showecker next to Falcon, and he saluted me gravely.

Rochefort turned on his magrod and readied a staff. I settled into my loose stance, relaxing all of my muscles. I was fine with just my body. I was just as deadly a weapon as anything Rochefort threw at me.

He circled me with an evil grin, his graying brown hair tied roughly back. I noticed mine was loose and casually put it up neatly. His suit was wrinkled and fraying, and altogether he no longer looked like an impeccable Turk. I had that mental advantage.

He charged me and I ducked under the staff, twisting to kick the magrod from his other hand. He jumped back and I vaguely heard Showecker hoot excitedly. That was a move I had taught him.

He spun the staff skillfully, and I picked up the magrod. I tossed it into the air a few times. "Looks like you still can't put these things down… _Master_." His face twisted and he charged again, with the same results. I sent him flying back with another kick. "Maybe if you're really good," I said with a smirk, "I'll let you get away without using this on you."

He paled, remembering the last time he said those words. I sauntered closer, face a serene mask. "Maybe I'll use it anyway. After all, I never keep my promises." I was close enough to see the nervous glint in his eyes, and I could almost _smell_ the fear coming off of him. I sent a sudden punch his way, and he was so distracted that he didn't even think to block. "Maybe you want this, then? Or do you want me to tell everyone what you did to a poor boy with this these things?"

Rochefort attacked me with all of his strength. I dodged it and grabbed the staff right out of his hands, bringing it down on the back of his head. He went down, unconscious. I heard cheering from the recruits, and looked up to see everyone else clapping demurely. The fight was so much easier than I thought.

I looked at the magrod and staff in my hands, and threw them off to the side disgustedly. I walked off, checking my suit to see that it was flawless still. I left the room and everyone was leaving, the needless event over and decided.

Falcon put a hand on my shoulder."I don't think he'll bother you again."

I smiled. "No, I don't think he will."

He started guiding me to the apartment, almost rough in how quick. I took a second to chuckle. "I got you all hot and bothered, huh?" He nodded vigorously, and was almost stabbing the elevator buttons with his finger.

We were almost to the bedroom when the phone rang. He answered annoyed. "What is it this time?" He frowned. "Yes sir, right away sir."

He hung up and looked at me uncertainly. "The president would like to see us."

We rushed up the stairs, deciding that it would be faster than the elevator. Once we got there, we were ushered in by heavily armed guards. President Rupert Shinra was a young blond man with more responsibilities than anyone his age should have to deal with. He was in his early twenties, and had on a pressed red suit. The room was all white, except dark wood furniture. I saw an odd stain on the carpet under me. It was pinkish. I didn't have a very good feeling about that stain.

We stood at attention in front of the desk. "Good afternoon, Falcon. And a pleasure to meet you, Valentine. I watched your fight on the cameras and I would like to say that you are one of the most talented fighters I have ever met." He stood and offered his hand to shake. I shook it. "I also saw the hostage tapes, and read the reports of your mission. I would like to offer my sincere apologies for what you have endured."

I nodded. "Thank you, sir, but it is unnecessary. I just did what I felt was best for the company, sir."

He grinned. "Well, Valentine, you did what few men have the strength to do. I also read reports on your past and such things. I am glad to have you in the team."

He pulled out a stack of papers. "You will receive your new quarters tomorrow, and I expect full participation in missions by next week." He stamped something. "And I expect this affair you two have going to end. Effective immediately."

Falcon paled and swallowed. "Yes sir."

Shinra looked back up at me. "And I am curious at your background. I would like to do more… in depth research. I will be in touch." He walked over to the picture window. "Good day, gentlemen."

I followed Falcon out of the room stiffly, and continued down the stairs the same way. He glanced at me sadly, waiting to return to the apartment before saying anything.

"Vincent?"

"What's done is done."

"What do you mean?"

"We knew something like this would happen. And now we must face the consequences, or die defying orders." I walked into the spare bedroom. "That's how things are, here in the Turks."

I spent that night writhing in indistinct nightmares of being swallowed by shadows as Falcon was swallowed by blood. Staining white carpet.

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Very short, yeah. I just wanted to hurry up so I can stay on track with the plot. It needs to moooove to get Vinnie where he needs to be on time. So the Prez stepped in to help out. I didn't even expect that one! ;)


	16. Chapter 16

Really short, but I liked the way the last line sounded as a chapter end. I'll get another up soon.

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I moved in to the apartment quietly. I didn't have many personal belongings, so it only took a moment. The general décor was on the beige and green side, very boring and unappealing. But I didn't care so much, it was only an apartment. My life was all in white carpets, beige walls, blue suits, and red pools. Now, light green furniture. It was very boring for the eyes.

Besides my musing on my scenery crisis, I decided that I needed to go down to the training room and beat the crap out of something. So I took over a punching bag. And promptly broke it. Regardless, I got out my overwhelming anger.

Rupert Shinra wanted to do _in-depth_ research on my past as a whore. If you can't figure out what he wanted, I feel bad for you. I mean, it's only what my life was about.

I finally made it to my office, and peeked into Falcon's. I had to stop and go in, staring at the senior operatives lingering around like they were at a funeral. They looked up at me and Falcon's eyes were wide. "Vince…"

I frowned. He sounded desperate and upset. He sounded like he was my lover, and I was about to die. I glanced around. "What's the problem here?"

Gentrie sighed and handed me a letter.

I read it with my shock increasing tenfold.

_Turk Commander Falcon._

_After extensive research into the use of Turk SiC Valentine, I have come to the conclusion that he would be best put to use as a personal bodyguard of mine. This will free up your other Turks for missions, and having a full time guard will be beneficial for security matters. He will report immediately after arriving at the office. He will retain the position of SiC, and complete his paperwork will in my company or on his off hours. Those are my orders._

_President Shinra, ShinRa Co._

I looked around at the men in the room, and realized that all of them would know why I was requested. None of them would look at me. "And? What's the problem?"

"Turks take care of their own; we can't let you go through that."

I smiled, genuinely pleased to see Showecker in the corner. "Orders are orders, and besides, he'll get bored very quickly. He's a virgin, after all."

They all glanced around at each other. Falcon frowned. "How could you tell?"

"If he wasn't, he'd have just told me to stay in his office after you left. Or if not, he wouldn't hide his intentions by giving an excuse to have me nearby." I walked to the desk and put the letter down. "He would've called me into his office and fucked me."

They all looked pointedly away, eyes sad. I turned and walked swiftly toward the elevator, only to be caught around the waist by strong arms. I felt Falcon's face buried in the back of my neck. I saw the rest of the guys in the doorway of the office, smiling and glancing around. I knew that they wouldn't let anyone know. I glanced at the cameras, and Showecker grinned, signaling that he disabled them. Rochefort was leaning against the wall some distance away, and he was pointedly looking away.

"Go on, I'll take care of the cameras on the way, and I got rid of the bugs in his room."

My eyes watered slightly, knowing how much it cost him to help me. He glanced over, scowling.

"Turks take care of their own."

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R&R and Vinny will get extra fun time with Falcon!

Vincent: GOOD GOD, PLEASE! REVIEW!

Falcon: *Drooling* Please?


	17. Chapter 17

Well, here you go, **LEMON** if you don't wanna read it, why are you reading my story, eh? ;)

I feel bad for messing with the two of them, so I put a surprise at the end! It's only a tiny consolation, but it's better than ending them like that.

Have fun!

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We walked swiftly towards the apartment, passing a grinning Gentrie holding a camera that was so broken it was shooting sparks. Falcon wouldn't let me go, so we had to shuffle unsteadily. It would have been comical if we weren't in such a serious situation.

I felt in my heart that it was all over after this.

We stepped into the apartment, and another Turk was outside guarding the door. I was near tears as I gently led Falcon to lie on the bed. He pulled me down and we kissed, softly but desperately. His hands moved to tangle in my hair, and a single tear fell from my cheek, landing below his eye to look like his own.

We broke away and he smiled sweetly, moving a hand to rest on my hip. We switched positions, and he kissed my neck as he took off my jacket and tie. I busied myself with his clothes, and by the time I was done with the top half, he was sucking on my nipple, wrenching sobbing moans from me. The pleasure was beautiful, but my heart was heavy with dread, hoping this never had to end. He ignored the sadness, willing away his own tears. Falcon sat up, slowly undoing my belt. He looked in my eyes, smiling.

"I love you, Vincent."

I felt tears run down my cheeks, and sat up to put my arms around his neck and bury my nose in the hollow of his throat. "I love you too."

He finished undoing my pants, and I arched my back so he could slide them off. It didn't take long for us both to be naked, and despite the somber situation, achingly hard. He prepared me gently, and waited until I was thrusting back against him. He took it slowly, and the pace he set matched the mood. He tried to make it last as long as possible, but it had to end eventually. We came together, whispering each other's names. It wasn't a white-hot, searing orgasm, but a warm wave that crashed over us, hesitating and soaking us, before retreating back to the endless sea.

He lay next to me with a smile, kissing my shoulder. I sighed and sat up. "I need to shower. The president is waiting for me."

Falcon snarled and rolled out of bed. He looked livid. He stalked over to the wall and gave it a solid punch, causing a nice hole. I grimaced, getting up and heading to the bathroom. I knew that he wasn't going to take my leaving very well. I made it quick, getting rid of all trace of sex. When I got out, a clean suit was hung on the door. I frowned, noting that Falcon was gone. I got dressed, and as I left the apartment, I was saluted by several Turks in the hallways. I made it to the elevator with my head held high, nodding at all of my loyal co-workers. Little did I know just what I had in store for me.

In the elevator I nearly broke down, I felt I wouldn't be close to Falcon again. Rupert Shinra would make sure of that.

By the time the elevator made it to the top, I had composed myself. I walked swiftly to the office door, and when I stepped in, I noticed something off. Shinra looked distraught, and there was a man in a lab coat standing nearby looking smug.

Rupert looked up at me with large eyes, and I was tempted to pull my gun on whomever this scientist was, knowing he had caused my boss to be in this state. "Valentine, I need you to assist me with this. I need a Turk with knowledge of the mountains near Nibelhiem. I need an escort for some scientists." He pushed files around. "All the capable Turks are out on extended missions."

I frowned, seeing a way out. "Sir, I have some knowledge of the mountains, it's pretty much inherited." He glanced up hopefully. "The only thing I have currently is the job of being your bodyguard. I'm sure that I can set up another system."

Rupert let out a big breath. "Not necessary, I'll speak to Falcon about it." He turned to the scientist. "Valentine, this is one of those scientists, Professor Hojo. He's beginning in some delicate experiments, so we're giving him and his team full run of the Shinra Mansion in Nibelhiem."

I didn't like how Hojo was looking at me; I felt strange vibes coming from him. He didn't look all that pleasant either. "It will be a pleasure working with you," I said stoically. I turned back to the president. "What is the time frame of this mission?"

He sighed again. "You will leave in two days, and you will stay with them until further notice. I will notify you when you may return. You are their guard." I nodded. "Go ahead to Falcon. You have my blessing." My eyes widened, but I bowed and left silently.

I grinned and chuckled. The elevator was way too slow for me, so I took the stairs. I took them two or three at a time, laughing. When I got to the last one, Showecker was walking up. He looked at me like I was crazy, and I slid down the railing on my feet. "I'm leaving for a mission in two days, I got Prez's blessing to be with Falcon till then." He chased after me, whooping. I ran down the hall, grinning. The rest of the Turks thought I had lost it, I'm sure. I skidded at the door to Falcon's office.

I swung in and landed with my arms spread. "Come to me baby, I'm yours!"

Falcon stood carefully from his desk. "Vincent? What are you doing here?" I jumped over the desk and put my hands on his shoulders.

"I'm leaving for an extended mission in two days. Don't know when I'll be back, but till I leave, I have the boss' blessing to be with you."

He broke out into a grin. Showecker stood in the doorway, and others peeked around him. They all witnessed Falcon picking me up around the waist and kissing me deeply. He set me down on my feet but didn't break the kiss, bending me backwards. I broke away laughing.

Showecker had a nosebleed.

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I felt bad, so I made it cute and funny, and bought them some more time! I planned on splitting them up long ago, but this just means that the story will take more chapters to end.

I liked writing Vinny all happy like that. It's uncharacteristic for the FFVII Vincent, but the DoC Vincent looks like he might do that.

Review if you liked it! It might make me write faster...


	18. Chapter 18

Well, a tiny taste of humor at the beginning, and then the plot moves forward. I have made a new holiday. Sexday! I think it should be on June the 9th. Get it? 6/9?

Wow I feel lame for that...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides my new holiday. And Falcon. Falcon...

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The rest of the day could be called Sexday. Seriously, I hadn't had that much sex in one day since the Black Mamba. I felt a little dirty. But seeing Falcon sprawled beside me, sated and exhausted, my heart swelled. I only had a limited time left, but I had time to be happy. I had all of the next day to be with him, and I would make the very best of it. I sat up, hissing at the pain in my backside.

That last one was rough.

After a quick shower, I walked down to the office, picking up my mission forms from the secretary. Rochefort sat in one of the chairs outside my office, head in his hands. I walked up to him and put a hand on my hip. "Yes, Rochefort, what do you need?"

He looked up at me in surprise. "I wanted to talk to you about something." I invited him into the office and closed the door, sitting on my desk as he lingered by the entrance. I motioned for him to go on. "Well, I've been doing some research on the scientists you're going to escort. Hojo, he's working on biological engineering, and in the slums, he's been picking up orphans for experiments. He's working with mako energy, trying to inject it into them and seeing the effects."

I sighed. "It isn't part of my mission to question their activities. If the President has been turning a blind eye, then he will assume that I will as well. If I see things that are beyond the call of science, and overly cruel, then I will make sure to report to him about it." I shifted slightly.

Rochefort grinned. "At least you aren't on guard duty, huh?" I chuckled and shook my head wearily. "Regardless, I believe that you may come into danger in Nibelheim, with just that small town there. If he runs out of subjects, he may turn to you." He frowned. "Two operatives have gone missing on guard duty for Professor Hojo."

This was already well known, and no one was all too comfortable around the man. I wasn't very concerned. I glanced at the floor, sighing again. "This'll be a cake walk compared to the last mission. I'll be fine." I leveled my stare straight into his eyes. "Plus, no experiment will hurt as much as I've been hurt in the past."

Rochefort turned away. "My actions cannot be forgiven, and they have been terrible. I recognize my fault, and ask that you accept my loyalty. I was resentful at first, but it is obvious that you are the more capable Turk." He turned back to me and knelt. "My life is yours to use as you see fit."

I had a distinct urge to hurt him. It was probably my younger self wanting its revenge, and I shook my head. I had a strange foreboding. "All I have for you is to know. I need you to know and remember. If I go missing on this mission, remember my tale for the future Turks. Tell them my tale so I may be remembered in some far off time and inspire those that have nothing to aspire to."

He looked up at me with an unreadable expression. "Sir?"

"That is all I ask of you. I trust you to this task."

I left the office with the forms. Walking to the elevator was hard, because all I could think of was that feeling I had. I never felt very prophetic before, but I knew that something terrible was lingering on the horizon. For the first time since I was fifteen, I was terrified. I saw Showecker step into the elevator and he held the door for me. He saw my fear and put a hand on my shoulder. I composed myself, feeling foolish.

The younger man frowned. "You have a bad feeling, too, don't you?"

My heart sank when I heard that. The last time that I had had this feeling was right before my father died, and his friend had also felt it. I knew because he saw my constant fear, and confronted me. He had thought that his bad feeling was about me being abused, so when he asked me about it, and I told him about _my_ feeling, we shared in a terror that was unlike anything we had felt before.

I felt it then, with Showecker's hand resting on my shoulder and my eyes wide and fixed on the wall.

The recruit shuddered. "Rochefort and Gentrie, and the other recruits feel it too. And they can see it in the other's eyes. Do you know what it might be?"

I shook my head and gulped. "No."

When I got back to the apartment, Falcon was in the kitchen. I'm ashamed to say that I screamed slightly and ran as fast as I could to save whatever was left, and salvage the rest. But he wasn't cooking, or even doing anything at all.

He was just standing there, staring off into the distance.

I could see in his eyes that what he was seeing was something that was for him alone. I coaxed his body to move, but it went slack. I picked him up, cradling him with a bit of difficulty. I hauled him into the guest bedroom, knowing that the other one would still be trashed from earlier. He still hadn't even blinked yet.

After a while of stroking his hair, his eyes brightened slightly, clearing of the haze over them. I let him come back slowly, blinking rapidly. I kissed his forehead, wondering what was going on.

He stared at me sadly. "Vincent, I'm sorry about that."

It took me a while, but I finally got up the nerve to ask him. "What were you seeing?" He closed his eyes.

"I sometimes have visions of the future, its part of my heritage. I saw you in black leather, wearing a red cloak. You had a golden gauntlet, and you were with a blond man. You both looked so sad, and you were looking at a sword and staff in the ground, in a bed of flowers on a cliff." I was chilled listening to him, but I made no change in my expression. "You were beautiful, a fallen angel, and the other man looked nearly the same. But," he said in confusion, "even though you had much longer hair, you looked barely a day over twenty-two. And your eyes showed decades of sorrow."

I just stared at him, not sure what to say. I knew that there was more, but he wouldn't say. I lay down next to him, sighing. "I know when you're hiding something. But it's alright, if you don't want to speak of it, I'll live without knowing. It seems that my dread was unwarranted, and I won't die on this mission."

Falcon looked at me with his eyes hazed over again. "No, you won't die."

* * *

Creeeeeeepy end, that was weird and I don't know where I came up with it. I've come up with the ideas for the next few chapters, so I might update soon.

School's coming up soon, so I might slow down my writing...

Review pleze


	19. Chapter 19

I know, guys. It's been a while. Don't hurt me! I'm back for you guys! I've been having a hard time getting anything down for any of my stories. I had a bunch of deaths recently, all of my old friends. So I've been not so inspired to write about Vincent. But I had an urge to write, and I did, yay! I'm back baby!

Disclaimer: The usual. I don't own anything at all. Ever.

* * *

The next day was one to be held dear. We spent it lazily lounging around the apartment, sleeping off a nice breakfast I had made. Around lunch I went down to my office once more and disabled the security settings on my computer. After an hour of tinkering, I looked up to a knock on my door. Professor Hojo, thoroughly creepy and dirty looking, came in, beady eyes seeming to analyze me.

"Yes, Professor? Is there something I can help you with?"

He chuckled. "No, no, no, just here to acquaint myself with my new bodyguard. What is it that you're working on so diligently?"

I stopped typing. I had been tapping away at the keys even as he was talking. It was hard to pause in my work, seeing as how delicate it was. "I'm dismantling my security systems. I set them up when I was promoted, which happens to be about a week ago." He asked if he could observe. I nodded and he moved around the desk to lean over my shoulder as I continued my typing. I gave him a small narrative. "One wrong key and the whole thing will crash. That will alert the technicians, which will put the whole company on red alert. I'm trying to prevent a city-wide computer failure."

Hojo hummed appreciatively. He made small comments on my system, questions on the uses of certain pass codes, small things. He also asked if I would mind assisting him with his security.

"I keep to the science; notes on paper and such things. I prefer the tangible evidence and recordings. But my log on my computers, it gets easily hacked, no matter my attempts at security."

I nodded. I was on a very difficult portion of deprogramming. After a few silent minutes, I tapped one final key. With a flourish, the many menus and information windows dropped, leaving a clean computer. Hojo stepped back and then left the room with a lecherous grin. Many Turks scurried out of his way, glaring.

Frankly, that man disturbed me.

It was an uneventful departure from the office, and the only person I saw was the secretary. She nodded to me and smiled. I went down to the training room with my workout sweats, and once I was changed and warming up on the mat, I looked up to see Falcon on the observation deck with a woman.

I was curious at first, but I soon realized that they were only talking, and that they were looking down at me. I started into my routine form exercises, which were something I did every day. They were strenuous, but they provided for the discipline needed to keep up with my fighting. I was taught by an old Wutaian when I was twelve, and he is the reason I was in touch with my culture. To begin, I started with breathing techniques, along with the classic martial arts poses. I switched from one move to another, to another, and so on. I closed my eyes and focused on the flow, allowing myself to fantasize of assailants coming in at all sides, just as my master told me to. I sped up by the second, creating an epic battle in my head. Dips, swoops, kicks, jabs, turns, blocks, jumps, spins, I did everything. I ducked beneath an imagined punch, leapt into a roundhouse at a duo surrounding me, and back flipping over an enemy with a sword. It seemed to only take minutes before the whole of an army was defeated by my hands, and I finished off with a few slow breaths and a low bow.

When I opened my eyes, I had a small audience on the deck above. At the front center were Falcon, the woman, and Hojo. On either side were Showecker, Rochefort, Gentrie, and Gentrie's recruits. They were clapping softly, and I bowed once more, before setting into some acrobatics.

On the other side of the room was a large obstacle course for Turks to train their flexibility. I noted that the group was moving toward the window closest to the course. I stood at the beginning, not waiting for them to reach it yet. The main objective was to get to the end as fast as possible given certain limitations. The ones I generally set myself are with weights, an "injured comrade" or body bag, or bound arms or legs. I decided to just go through it and see how well I could, and then go through with bound arms, then with a body bag. I ran forward, leaping over a low wall, climbing up out of the deep ditch, sliding beneath a disabled truck, and so on. At the end, I heard more applause, and I quickly jogged back to the beginning to go through with a body bag, then I signaled to Gentrie. He came into the room and I had him tie my arms, and I went through again. As Gentrie untied me, I looked up at the window, seeing Falcon grinning widely. I smiled back, watching excitedly as he moved toward the door, coming in and running to me. We embraced and kissed for a few moments, but I knew that we were pushing Shinra's good will by doing that.

I looked up at the window, and saw Hojo grin like a fox.

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I need your opinions. Another chapter for those two, including a lemon, or just get on with the story? I'm tired of writing about his Turk days, I wanna get to the next step, but it's up to you guys whether I should write one more along these lines.

Review with your opinion!


	20. Chapter 20

Hey, I haven't abandoned any of my stories, just been too busy to write. Too many English projects and Art projects. I managed this though!

WARNING: The plot has moved along in this one! Finally going somewhere!

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That night I slept in Falcon's arms, recovering from desperate sex. We knew we may not see each other again, and it seeped through to our lovemaking. The next part is a blur in my mind, and all I clearly remember is Falcon's face as I stepped into the helicopter. He looked harsh and unforgiving, but I saw the pain in his eyes as he saluted me. The helicopter rose and hovered over the building momentarily before gliding away to the west.

Being in the copilot's seat, I had to focus on flying for a while. It was rough going, but I managed. It didn't take quite as long as I thought it would, but we made it to Nibelheim without incident. I was brought through the town, and into the mansion, and to my room, without really seeing anything. I spent that night holed away, knowing that I wouldn't have to start until the morning. When I woke, I reported and Hojo gave me a tour of the building, especially the laboratory and library. All of the computers were down in a hidden section of the building, underground. There were test chambers in one of the rooms, containing mako experiments. They generally contained monsters, but there were two humans being tested. I took it all in with the thought that if this was being allowed, it was for the greater good.

Another few doors held lab rooms, which I opted not to check out yet. The other room I saw was a library. It had countless bookshelves and a few computers that looked more like research based ones in public libraries. I had noticed a few in the main lab that were more than advanced enough to handle the mechanisms involved. He then asked me to go with the woman, Dr. Crescent, and see the town and the nearby mako reactor on the mountain. It was a quaint little village, with happy people and strongly built homes. There was a blonde woman who seemed to be moving in, and I asked to stop to give her a hand. She was only a teenager, and she told me that her parents had died a few months ago in Midgar, so she came to the little mountain village for the safety it entailed. I'm still not sure why her story had stuck with me. Maybe it was just the way the "safe" village was probably the death of her when it was ravaged by fire.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. At least 20 years ahead.

We had lunch in the Inn's dining room, a simple meal. She ordered a "Nibel Stew", and assured me it was good, but the ingredients horrified those with weak stomachs. I couldn't resist asking the waiter what was in it.

He chuckled. "Nibel Wolf."

I just shrugged and ordered it as well. She looked at me in surprise. "It sounds good. Besides, growing up in the slums with barely a morsel to share between my mother and myself, I'm not picky. I'm sure I've eaten worse, Dr. Crescent."

She grinned. "When we're out and about, feel free to call me Lucretcia." I nodded and kept up some small talk until our food arrived. It was extremely good, and we left them a generous tip, despite their protests. Shinra employees, especially those in the military branches such as the Turks and the aeronautical program, tended to get most public services for free.

It was a good day as far as that went. I spent two weeks as a bodyguard there in monotony. The most interesting part was when an experiment escaped its pod, and I had to fight it off. The enhancements made were incredible, and it also had some healing abilities. It kept accidently healing me as well as itself. After about an hour of rigorous subduing, Hojo managed to put it down with some lethal injection. I saw a bit of humanity in its eyes as it died, as if it was thanking me for saving it.

One of the most unsettling things I ever experienced.

I left to go get a new monster for the scientists. I was in a pair of jeans and a plain white shirt, not wanting to ruin my uniform, with my gun tucked in the back waistband. It wasn't too hard to round up a Nibel Wolf and haul it back to the mansion, though it tore my shirt to shreds. The villagers looked at me in fear as I carried it over my shoulder through the doors. I guessed that I would have to bring up my public image before they started to run from me.

Lucretcia thanked me as I released it into the pod, untying it and jerking back as it snapped at me. I shrugged, expressing that it was just my job. She seemed off, not looking at me. Hojo approached me with a serious expression.

"There's someone here to see you."

I sprinted to my room and put on my uniform, hurrying down to the dining room to see who it could be. I was shocked to see Gentrie, Rochefort, and two of the committee members. My heart pounded unevenly, frightened of something, but I didn't know what. Rochefort wouldn't look at me as they all saluted. My heart stopped.

"What is this?"

The committee just looked to Rochefort and cleared their throats. I walked up to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up sadly. "I'm sorry, sir."

"He… he's… I'm sorry."

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Review please!


	21. Chapter 21

_"What is this?"_

_The committee just looked to Rochefort and cleared their throats. I walked up to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up sadly. "I'm sorry, sir."_

_"He… he's… I'm sorry."_

My mind went blank for a moment, not even taking in the words. As soon as I restarted, Gentrie was looking at me sternly. I must have been showing my emotions, which was bad since I was in the presence of the committee. Mere moments after I had composed myself, Hojo walked into the room with Lucretcia. They simply glanced at us and took in our blank faces as they sat down on the other side of the room at a small table. I turned back to my comrades, suddenly my underlings.

Gentrie saluted me. "What would you like to do, Commander Valentine?" Hojo's eyebrows rose, but I ignored them for the moment. He returned to attention. "There are matters to discuss." He glanced meaningfully towards the scientists. I nodded and stepped over to them.

"Please allow us to excuse ourselves. This is private Turk business."

He glared but nodded.

We left the mansion and they looked to me to guide them somewhere that we could talk unobserved. I started toward the mountain path. We were halfway to the mako reactor when I turned off into a small cave that led to a natural mako fountain. I had found it two days before, and noticed it was a very private area. We gathered among the rocks and Gentrie sat me down. I let my face show my distress now, since it was only the Turks. They were family, after all. One of the committee members cleared his throat.

"I assume you want details." I nodded. I remembered his name was Gregorovic. "Falcon went on a mission for a special assassination. He was taking out a child prostitution ring, a personal assignment. In the process, he discovered that the honcho was working directly for Shinra and the company was getting a good sum of money from all of the major whore houses in Midgar."

I looked over at the fountain, seeing Corneo in the mako.

"He confronted the president about the matter, and as expected, Shinra wasn't happy." Gregorovic was speaking in a monotone, as if giving a verbal mission report. "He had him shot in the middle of the wasteland between Midgar and Kalm."

I turned to them. "And you allowed this to happen?"

They shook their heads. "We were unaware of it until the soldiers returned with his body. We had no choice but to store it away for recording and cremation." They all had sat down at some point, and all of them were as far from me as possible. "Shinra expressed strict orders for you to remain on assignment, despite being our leader."

That was perfect, because I would've strangled him.

I was supposed to die first. I was the SiC, the one sent on the most difficult missions, the dirtiest jobs. That was the point. But he died first because he exposed one of the few workings of Shinra Co. that we hadn't been aware of yet. That was supposed to be me when I slaughtered Corneo in a fit of rage and madness. The Turks were always at risk of death at any second, but the commander was thought of as at least risk.

That was the thing, I was the new commander. But I was on assignment, so most of my duties would be left to my SiC, which hadn't been chosen. But I knew one man that I felt was capable of that. He was a little known Turk, our top assassin and top intelligence agent. He was top in, quite literally, _everything_. He was also about two years my senior, and had become a Turk after only a year of training.

I had some idea why he wasn't even considered earlier, but I knew the man for the job. His ambitions for becoming commander were perfect for the situation. And as soon as I returned, I would roughly put him back in his place, perhaps killing him if he proved to be mutinous. I'd have to get spies to keep tabs on him.

"My Second will be Veld. And I will assign Gentrie and, when he graduates, Showecker as my own personal spies to keep him in line. If he tries to take my position from me while I'm away, I'll fly in and kill him right then and there." They just looked at me with worry in their eyes.

It still struck me as strange that Turks would show their emotions even to each other. It was plain on their faces. Hopefully Veld will change that on my suggestion.

I stood, keeping myself neutral. I was more upset than I would ever let on. My lover had just died. I was about to break down. But I held it in and stepped outside the cave, walking steadily back down the mountain path. They could handle the rest. I'm sure they'd send me the paperwork I'd have to do. Gaia knows that Falcon had hated it. I would welcome the distraction from my own thoughts.

I returned to the mansion with my most commanding poise. I found Hojo in the basement working with the new monster. He turned to me with a grimace. "This thing is a pregnant female. It'll be perfect for a new experiment I wanted to test. Soon I'll work on a human female, if a damn woman can get pregnant around here." He sounded thoroughly angry at this, but I just ignored it. I had other things to worry about.

"Professor, I have certain news that must be shared with you." He simply nodded and waved his hand to show that I should continue. "Although I have a new status as Commander of the Turks, President Shinra has requested I remain here. Although in emergencies, I may ask for leave to return to Midgar to lead them properly."

Hojo simply shrugged. "That'd be fine with me."

I just stood there for a moment. I was listless, almost eager for something to drown my attention with. I didn't get it down there, so I left the mansion with permission to wander a while. I found some of the village men gathering in the square with weapons. I approached the mayor cautiously. They were all looking at me with slight fear.

"Is there something going on?"

They glanced at each other warily. "There's a dragon running rampant not far from the town. It's taken three children and two men already."

My eyes widened and I reached my hand out to him. "Vincent Valentine, Turk. I'll help you. When will we be heading out?"

The man looked pale but relieved. "We're meeting here at about nine tonight. We'll decide who's going then."

I spoke with them for a while, and some were dubious about how well I could fight. I shrugged and offered to show them. We headed a bit away from the rest, and I asked them what they wanted to see.

"How about you fight me, hand to hand, none of that there gun you got."

I sighed. "If you insist, then I suggest all of you fight me at once."

They chuckled and shrugged. They surrounded me, and I closed my eyes, centering myself. I heard one step closer, and my eyes popped wide open. He was coming from my right, and he was running. I waited until he got closer and I sidestepped, letting him fly past into another man coming from my left. They thunked together and then three more launched themselves at me. I jumped forward over one and turned to duck beneath another. The third I stood and sidestepped again. Only one was left, and he charged at me, thinking I would dodge, but I stood still and he ran into me, which threw him back several feet, though it didn't budge me. They all looked up from the ground that they had tumbled to, and I believe that they were convinced, despite my having not even tried to land a single blow. It was nearly pathetic.

They shook my hand and thanked me for offering to help. I went back to the mansion quietly. I passed the other Turks, and they saluted as I walked by. I got inside and went to my room to change. I was back in my jeans and a new black shirt. I heard a knock on the door, and Lucretcia called for me. I opened it and she was shuffling her feet in the hall. I suddenly felt my chest trying to tear itself from the inside. I held back from showing it, and kept my face neutral. "Yes, Professor?"

She sighed and looked up with a scowl. "I just got the news. Shinra should be shot. I'm sorry."

I just shrugged. "Death is expected in this line of work. The only difference is that the Second is usually the one to die. Falcon was reckless and ran straight into his demise."

Lucretcia's eyes widened exponentially. "He was your friend, right? How could you be so cold about his death?"

"Do not be mistaken," I said softly. "Benjamin Falcon and I were not friends."

She looked at me in confusion before I glanced into my room. The bed was cold and empty, and I was dreading the nightmares that would come with sleep. She noticed my glance and she invited me to join her for a picnic the next day. She claimed that the monsters on the mountainside frightened her and she needed someone to protect her. I agreed and asked to be left to rest, informing her of my volunteering to assist against the dragon. She nodded and left and I went to the bed regretfully. It was foreboding, the crisp white sheets. They reminded me so much of the white carpets with the blood that stained them in Rupert Shinra's office.

Perhaps my eyes were the blood.

* * *

Sorry for the wait. That was kind of sad, but not as sad as it will be soon. Vincent hasn't had his my-lover-just-died emotional breakdown. It might come in the next chapter. I hope to get it up quickly, since although I have exams, I only need to take two. I took one today, and after this three day weekend, I take one on Tuesday, and then I'm free until the next Monday! I'll get a chapter on each of my stories and maybe a one-shot if I get any requests... ;)

R&R plz!


	22. Chapter 22

Tiny chapter, but it's here. I am getting to the good stuff now. Vincent is on his way, coffin!

Hehe. That sounds crazy...

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I woke several hours later, after watching Falcon die by my hands in my dreams. It was growing dark, and I prepared to leave to meet the townsfolk. I dressed in dark clothes, something I inherited from my ancestors. I looked quite like a ninja, and I supposed that it was only right. I strapped my handgun to my leg and a few knives. I also grabbed a sword I had purchased not long before I became a full Turk. I tied my hair back and appraised myself in the mirror. I looked frightening. Opening the door I saw a box by my feet. I opened it cautiously to find a beautiful shotgun.

It was an ornately designed triple barrel sawed off shotgun. A dog head was welded to each barrel, and I smiled. Cerberus. The hounds of Hell. There was a note in the box as well, along with a leg holster.

_Vincent,  
I wish I could be there when you got this. I had it made especially for you. I'm writing this while I'm waiting to see President Shinra. I'm in deep shit, I tell you. I went after Corneo, and found out that he's funded and working for Shinra. I'm getting some answers today. I hope you don't think badly of me, but I'm not sure I can work for this man anymore. I took out the Black Mamba, and that's all I needed. I saved a woman named Abigail. You told me about her once. The rest asked me to kill them. There was a boy there who was dying regardless. Abigail has an apartment in Kalm now. She's calling herself Abby. I'm sorry for all of this. I love you very much.  
Benjamin._

I blinked away coming tears and put the note in my dresser. The box I threw next to the bed, and I strapped on the holster. It was all perfect, and it made me very nostalgic. It took a few moments to get going, but I headed out of the mansion and out into the town. In the dying light I saw a few men leaving their homes armed and we all walked to the square together. In total, seven men came to the square not including myself and the Mayor. He wasn't going to go out to the hunt.

"Alright, men. We need to track the beast down. Then we need to kill it. We need a leader."

I watched everyone. I was willing to lead the effort, but I wasn't a member of the town. I decided to wait out the group to see if anyone would take the lead. They all looked to me.

I nodded and stepped up beside the Mayor. "Alright, I need two pairs and one set of three." They divided. "You are Group 1, you are Group 2," I said pointing to the pairs in turn. "You, you are Group three." They all nodded. "We aren't going to separate really. We're going to fan out and surround it. I myself will lead the strike. Don't get in too close. I'll take the front. If I go down, get out. You'll need to go to the mansion and tell one of the scientists that the Turk is gone. Explain why. They'll send in backup."

The Mayor looked at me in concern, but I just smiled at him. "Of course, I don't plan on going down. Dragons aren't so bad."

They eyed me warily but followed me as we headed out. One guided us to where the dragon was last spotted, and I went from there. Soon enough, we saw it feeding on a wolf. I turned to them and sent 1 and 2 to the sides, and 3 around the back. I crept close and pulled out my new shotgun. I had loaded and prepped it previously. I aimed carefully at its head and fired. The roars were deafening, and I ran in with my sword raised. The villagers shot at the beast incessantly from all sides, pinning it down. The bullets barely made a scratch, but my shot had taken out an eye, causing its confusion. It was perhaps twice my height and obviously quite a bit larger than me. I leapt at its back and brought the sword to its throat, digging it in. It was tough, but I had gotten the blade partially in when it threw its head back and took off with a mighty flap of its wings. With a heave of effort, I severed its jugular and it gurgled lifelessly even as it raised that bit further. I slipped from its neck and caught a glimpse of the ground far below before I twisted and landed on my back.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the somewhat familiar ceiling of my room in the mansion. I turned my head and winced at the pain in my body. Lucretcia was sitting beside the bed with a roll of bandages and a glass of water. I sat up slowly, the blankets falling to my waist. I was bandaged and wounded, but that didn't cover my scars. She didn't comment on them, just handed me the glass. Once I was finished with it, I looked at her warily. "How bad is it?"

She shook her head. "Not bad at all, considering you fell from a four story height. I'm not sure how you didn't break anything. All you have are scrapes and bruises."

I sighed. I almost wished I was dead. "That is good, then. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Vincent, what were you and Benjamin? Wasn't he Benjamin Falcon?"

I looked to my dresser and noticed that it was open, my clothes from the hunt clean and put away. She must have seen the note there when she put them away. "I do not believe that is relevant, or necessary." I swung my legs to the floor, noticing that I was in my sweatpants. "I apologize once more."

She put her hand on my shoulder. "I'm not dropping this. You're hurting, and I want to help. You're accompanying me to a picnic. Just the two of us. Get ready, we're leaving in three hours." She stood and left the room quickly. I wasn't sure what to think of the insane woman. She was pretty enough, and obviously smart, but there was something off. Perhaps I just wasn't attracted to women.

Three hours went by, with one painful shower and difficult bandaging completed. I put on my uniform and stepped into the hall where I saw Lucretcia standing with a picnic basket and a blanket. I followed her out of the building, listening to her chatter and eying the townsfolk. They were nodding and waving to me, thanking me for my help. We trekked up the mountain unmolested, and we took a detour, arriving in a grassy and flower filled meadow. It was beautiful and she spread out the blanket.

She pulled out bottles and glasses, no food in the basket. Just wine and vodka. I shook my head. "I don't drink. I'm only nineteen."

She started with wide eyes. "Nineteen? Really? Well, you need to loosen up and forget your troubles." She poured out some of the vodka into my glass. "Drink." I looked at her for a moment, thinking that she really was very strange, before taking the drink and shooting the whole thing back.

This was the biggest mistake I have ever made in my entire life. If I hadn't taken that drink, the rest of what follows would never have happened. This is why I believe I am solely responsible for every trouble of the Planet. This is why I'm here writing this. I will never forgive myself for that first drink, and every drink that followed. Had I not…

The world would be at peace.

* * *

Next chapter will be small and more of the drunken events he was speaking of right there. My FF7 fans should know exactly what's coming next!

Review please and thank you!

**I want to thank all of my previous reviewers. I'd thank you all by name if I wanted to sift through and find you all. I currently have 13, and hope to reach 20 by chapter 30. I like to hear from you guys. If I ever hit 50 reviews, I'll post a bonus one-shot lemon with each of Vincent's lovers over his lifetime. Yeah, I did just bribe you. ;)**


	23. Chapter 23

Yes! The awaited plot changing chapter! Things are happening, and they're happening fast. I look forward to moving forward!

Disclaimer: I don't own this series, don't pretend I do. We all know the truth.

Warnings: Drinking, slurs, minor nonsense if you look close, ungraphic sex, maybe swearing (I don't remember), torture?, science used badly, blood lust, Hojo doing a little dance.

* * *

We took a few more shots, and a few more full glasses, and she got steadily closer.

"I wan ta help ya, Vincet." She was thoroughly sloshed, but I was no better. "Le me help ya."

I shook my head decisively, but I didn't stop her when she crawled over into my lap. "I dun wan ya ta get hurt." I thought for some drunken reason I was still in Rochefort's clutches. "Mr. Turk hurts everone who tries ta help me."

She looks at me strangely. "Who hurts who?"

I shook my head and pushed her slowly away. "Mr. Turk will hurt ya, just like Mr. Presdent hurt Falcon." I gripped my head and curled in on myself. "He killed him! He killed im! At bastard killed my Falcon!" I could feel myself choke up. "He's gone!"

She pulled my arms away and moved me so she could straddle me. "Dun think, jus feel."

She kissed me and I shook my head. I reached for the last bottle of vodka. After a few gulps, I put it down. She dove back to my lips and I was just gone enough that I responded, but not so gone that I didn't have tears running down my cheeks. She started removing my clothes, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself, and I ended up not moving an inch. It was a blur, but she ended up getting the both of us undressed, still straddling me and trying to get me hard.

It wasn't working, and she handed me the bottle again. After nearly drowning myself in the drink, I tossed the empty bottle aside and let her have her way, trailing her hands all over me, gripping my cock and pumping quickly until I was hard enough to pass. She quickly sunk down on me and started riding hard. It earned reluctant moans from me, the friction finally making me react by holding on to her hips. My tears didn't stop, and I kept muttering Falcon's name. As the alcohol began to take full effect, my memory becomes spotty. I know we didn't last long. I don't remember much after that, but we must have passed out in each other's arms.

I woke up to shouting. It was agony to me, but I sat up and opened my eyes. A few of the townsfolk were standing around them and were shouting at a few guards from the mansion. I hadn't registered the words yet, just the sound. I realized that Lucretcia hadn't woken up yet, and I held my hands out to them. "Quiet down. She's asleep." I sounded strained even to my ears, and I covered my eyes. The light was excruciating.

I heard them stumble over their words as they noticed me awake and mostly uncaring.

"You are to return to the mansion."

"Shut up! We won't let you hurt him!"

"Hojo has ordered your arrest, Turk. Come with us!"

This went on until the world stopped spinning enough that I could open my eyes without throwing up. "Give me a minute and turn around. The lady needs to dress." I shook her shoulder and she stirred blearily. She had much the same reaction as I did, but she recovered a bit quicker, realizing what was happening and beginning to dress. I got my uniform on and looked at the soldiers.

"I assume based on the weapons that I'm to go in cuffs?"

They nodded, and I held my wrists out. "Hurry it up. I hurt. This is the first hangover I've had and I'm about to steal your gun to shoot myself."

They chuckled and roughly snapped the metal to my wrists. I considered then fighting free, but I decided against it. There was no point. Lucretcia followed meekly behind us, and she only had one guard beside her. We made it to the mansion and they led us down to the library. I was shoved harshly in, and Lucretcia hurried over to me. I shook her off and looked up from where I was on my knees. Hojo stood over me, eyes clearly betraying that he was seething. "Dr. Crescent is my wife."

We stared each other down, ignoring Lu and her babbling explanations. He and I focused intently on each other. Somehow we understood one another. He was asking if I really had slept with his wife. Though I was saying that I hadn't known, I was defiantly daring him to try to do something about it. He huffed, not breaking eye contact. He was telling me that he would take the challenge.

He told the guards to bring me to the lab room. I fought them off and got most, but Hojo snuck up on me with a tranquilizer. It was a paralyzer, and though I was perfectly lucid and conscious, I couldn't move one bit. It was too fast for my body to even try to fight it off. They dragged me off into one of the lab rooms and strapped me down onto the table. I just laid there for a while before Hojo came in the room.

"That woman is my wife. She will be punished for her adultery, but not nearly as much as you will be." He turned to the table with the medical instruments. "I still need her for my experiments. My biggest project is ready. All I need is a pregnant woman. Hopefully there's still a chance for her. She has never given me a child, but she is fertile. Perhaps although I hate you, you will help me create my greatest project." He turned to me and held up a syringe. "I was going to experiment on you regardless. My first thing is to see if you're compatible with the Chaos Project. Mako energy, you see." The liquid inside the tube was glowing a bright green. "It's the new form of energy. Shinra plans to use it to power everything. Me, however, I plan to use it to create the ultimate beings."

He injected my arm and suddenly I felt I was airborne. The chemical burned through my veins and I couldn't feel anything else. It seared for a long while, but when it finally faded, I saw Hojo leering at me. He took a scalpel and ran it down my arm. We watched it heal right before our eyes. He grinned. "Ah ha! For some reason, you are the first person to adapt to the mako. Very quickly, too, a rate even I hadn't anticipated. Now I just need to take some blood samples." He suddenly was in scientist mode, taking samples and putting them under microscopes and machines. I watched it all helplessly.

He did a strange movement I could only think of as a victory dance. Whipping around to face me, he told me about the results of the tests. I just laid there and listened, sudden fear striking my heart. He started to dance a bit again and told me that he hoped I got Lucretcia pregnant. I had a horrible feeling that I had been the death of her, just like Falcon. He hooked me up to I.V.s and monitors and he left with a laugh.

It must have been a day or two later when he came back. He was unshaven and had a massive grin. He picked up a series of instruments and syringes, putting them on the table beside me. There was also a large jar of the chemical he called mako.

"Turk, I used some of your blood samples to come up with a way to assimilate it to another human's blood. Turns out there's something in there that prevents the fusion, but in yours I found out why. So I fixed the procedure. It worked! Lucretcia is now mako enhanced. Her healing and development is remarkable and in the process, I found out that she has a child and it's growing rapidly." I frowned and tried to break free. I didn't care what happened to me, I just knew that I didn't want my child to be left in the hands of this man. "Calm down. I just need to see if these cells fuse to you, so that I can inject them in the fetus. Hold still."

It was a series of injections and surgeries, but I wasn't anesthetized. It was excruciating. He deemed it yet another success and flew out of the room with me still open on the table. My abdomen had many incisions and I could feel them healing steadily and quickly. Something was burning, and I looked to the jar to find it completely empty. I cried softly.

He came back at some point, but I was drifting in and out of consciousness. He looked happy again. I remember him attaching a drip of mako. When I woke up again, he had detached it and I felt a strange pain in my left arm. I turned my head and saw him cutting into the nerves just below the elbow. The pain spiked and I bucked and screamed. He was laughing slightly. I watched my arm slowly graying and dying without the nerve connections and blood supply. Hojo clamped the broken vessels and cleaned up the area. He looked at me. "I've got a plan for you. Don't worry. It'll be my focus until the birth of the child. It stopped accelerating at the amount of three months, so looks like we have six months to wait."

He left me drifting again. I wasn't positive how long between his visits, but it seemed a decent amount of time. He called what he was doing preparations. My biggest challenge was not asking what he was preparing for. I didn't want to know, but my training forced a kind of curiosity into me at all times. It was my job to know everything, but this… I never wanted to find out.

He would do different surgeries, and he told me he was rearranging my organs and blood flow to accommodate for the changes. One day he came in with an odd looking orb. He called it a materia, but he didn't explain what that was. He told me it housed a demon, Galian Beast. With that, he opened up my chest and fiddled around with my insides painfully, inserting this orb at one point. This alone caused me such pain that it filled my entire body. He grinned and shouted for the other materia. Two men in coats came in with a glass container with more orbs. Hojo opened this and named them as he placed them in my chest. Death Gigas. Hellmasker. Then another person came in with a sealed container that glowed. He looked reverent as he placed the orb in my chest with gloved hands.

My mind exploded with images and feelings. I saw the people I'd killed, the people I'd wanted to kill, I felt bloodlust for every single customer I'd ever had, anger at my father for dying, my mother for not dying, insane need to kill _everyone_. Especially Hojo.

I snarled and bucked, eyes focused on the scientist with a red haze. He grinned and took a large blade to my arm above the elbow. He hacked the dead limb off and I felt something in me lunge out at him. I glanced to my arm and saw that it was regenerating with a purplish grayish tint, fingers curling into horrifying claws. It looked like a demonic human hand. And that's what it was. It was only partially strapped down and it reached for the man. I had no control over it. Hojo took it at the base quickly, thrusting it to the table. He had his assistants attach a golden gauntlet. It fit perfectly, and they tightened screws and such so that it was tight. I felt the appendage finally, and Hojo told me to try to move my fingers. I did, and he nearly danced again. It was one of those moments that even I felt a little excited seeing it. But then the bloodlust returned and I screamed, bucking and snarling again. I felt a foreign presence in my mind, but it didn't seem to have a voice. The emotions were feral, though, and I couldn't suppress it.

But I didn't want to suppress it.


	24. Chapter 24

I'm back (finally) with a new chapter! Vincent starts to come to terms with his demons. (Let's see how long THAT lasts...)

* * *

I could separate the emotions better every day. I really felt nothing, but the thing, or should I say _things_, that Hojo put inside me felt more than enough for all of us. I was beginning to recognize their "voices" and associate each with a wave of sensation. One was far more lucid, and whenever Hojo entered the room, would take over me and snarl at the man. One time, it discovered its voice.

"_Monster! Demon! Hellion!_"

Hojo grinned at the words. "Yes, very nice. Now that Chaos has begun his reign over your consciousness, you need to suppress him enough to remain lucid."

I stared out at him, the words still spilling from my lips as I tried to bring together barriers against "Chaos". I somehow fought the entity back, but it went kicking and screaming. It was obviously not happy to go. I gasped for air, eyes closed.

"W-what-t have… you d-done… to m-me?" I ground out.

I heard him laugh. "Looks like this experiment will be a success as well!"

I caught the sound of the scientist leaving. It was a few more days until all of the available scientists assembled in my lab room, hovering around Hojo reverently. He grinned and gestured to me grandly.

"My life's work, all assembled into one specimen. It has shown signs of still being unstable. I have inserted the demon summons Galian Beast, Death Gigas, and Hellmasker. So far there are no physical effects. You have gathered to observe the effects of the mako infused in the subject's bloodstream." He stood proudly over me, scalpel handy.

One of them cleared his throat. "The color of his eyes is quite abnormal. This is not a side effect?"

"No, that is the subject's original eye pigment."

"Why is there a gauntlet on his left arm? That is all that covers him."

Hojo stepped back. "The subject had that as a prosthetic originally."

My eyes widened, and I realized that he was keeping "Chaos" a secret. I wasn't sure why, but I quite wanted to spoil it. I allowed the entity to come out, and he began bucking and thrashing and snarling. "_Monster! We are not the demons. You cannot contain Chaos!_"

Hojo frowned and he turned to his colleagues. "I believe the demons have begun to affect the subject's consciousness. I have need to study this. We will have to postpone the demonstration."

The scientists looked at each other grimly. One spoke up. "The Chaos Project? Your wife is the one involved here, isn't she? Where is Professor Crescent?"

Chaos roared as fiercely as my vocal chords would allow. "_Hellion! Foul one, you shall die by my claws!_"

Hojo stood his ground. Another man bared his teeth. "Where is Lucretcia? If something has happened to her, your life is forfeit."

Hojo sighed. "She is a part of my Jenova Experiment. I'm creating the perfect soldier. Her actions deserved just punishment and since she has this creature's child, she is the perfect subject."

One tried to storm out of the room, but Hojo brought a gun from inside his lab coat. He shot the man and proceeded to take out every single person in the room. By the time he was done, one of the demons was overwhelming me with bloodlust. Its own reactions filtered through my control and made me unbearably hard. Hojo obviously noticed, hearing my grunts and snuffles. I felt it was what they called Galian Beast. It felt animalistic. I felt the entity "Chaos" trying to reign in Galian Beast. I was a helpless bystander in my own mind, and as strange as it sounds, Chaos was on my side, trying to regain my control.

Hojo leered at me. "The blood has awakened the Galian Beast? Very good." I felt a strange prickling beneath my skin and he grinned wider. "Fur? There's a physical reaction, finally!"

My eyes got wide, even as the Beast took control of me. I saw a purplish dusting of fur all over my skin. Hojo was mumbling about something inhibiting the process. He injected me with something that knocked me out in seconds.

When I came to again, the room was cleaned and sterilized. Chaos began forming a voice in my mind around then. _**Host, this has gone on long enough. How long have we been strapped to this table?**_

I shrugged as best as I could at the time. "I haven't been able to tell the passing of time. Maybe a few days, maybe a few months."

_**How were you trapped here?**_

"He wishes revenge on me for sleeping with his wife."

… _**Really? That is all?**_

"I was grieving for my dead lover and she poured so much alcohol into me I don't honestly remember most of what happened. So he had the guards arrest us and we are both now his experiments."

_**Wow. This human is even more insane than I thought.**_

I shrugged again. "Some humans have a right to insanity. Perhaps he has had a tragic life. Sometimes humanity is stolen from you." I thought of my own past, wondering how I myself wasn't insane. Chaos went silent, but I felt he was disgruntled. I sighed, realizing that I could've been insane, hearing voices in my head and talking to them out loud. I suddenly felt tired and allowed myself to lapse into unconsciousness.

I drifted in and out. I saw Hojo sometimes. When I was finally lucid, I looked to the scientist. He was excited. "It's time! Lucretcia is finally giving birth! I'm going to drag the table into her lab so you can see what your actions have caused." He hit a few levers and my table was propped up vertically. I slumped a bit, my body not accustomed to movement. He wheeled it out of the door and down the hall, into the main lab. I now clearly heard her screams. Hojo must not have given her anything for the pain.

When I was wheeled through the doors and saw her, she screamed louder. "You bastard! What have you done to him?"

I wasn't sure she was referring to me. The way her eyes smoldered as another contraction came, I believed she blamed me. I didn't blame her for it, either. The birth was long and hard for her, and our eyes were locked the entire time. I kept begging her for forgiveness, but I was only answered by screams.

Hojo quickly became annoyed by me and approached with a scalpel. He lowered the table and injected me with a few chemicals. When I was lucid again, Lucretcia was still screaming and my throat throbbed. I looked to the side and saw a grotesque thing in a jar nearby. Hojo looked at me and grinned. "I'll return your vocal chords when this is over."

I tried to scream, but all that came out was a strangled noise and a lot of pain. Lucretcia paused in her screams and panted, turning her head to me. She looked furious, and I tried to beg forgiveness with my eyes, but nothing came of it. It only served to make her bare her teeth and snarl.

Everything happened very quickly. When I heard the tiny voice of my child, I felt a tear run down my face as they took him- yes, a beautiful boy- away and out of the room. Lucretcia mewled in pain, but she didn't have the strength to move to stop them. I vaguely noticed her eyes glowing before they dulled and flickered closed. I saw her breathing stop and _heard_ her heartbeat stutter and give out. I felt a burning rage, and Chaos reared to the surface as my emotions matched his. I felt my body changing and morphing. Chaos took over while I was stuck deep in my consciousness, watching. Lucretcia opened her eyes slowly and stared at me with a bit of disgust and a bit of love. The light in them faded and she stopped moving. Hojo watched me with a grin, picking up a tranquilizer gun and shooting it into my chest.

When I woke, I still couldn't speak. I figured this out when I saw Hojo standing at the edge of the lab table. I tried to curse him and scream at him, but no sound came out. Silently and painfully I raved in my madness. I bucked and strained at the straps holding me to the table. The demons threw themselves at my mental barriers, cracking my distracted resolve. Hojo began to get concerned, attaching the metal restraints. I lunged at him as best as I could, but I couldn't reach. Death Gigas, the demon I associate with a childlike innocence to the harm it wishes to inflict, was begging to kill the scientist. He somehow broke free and I felt my body begin to morph. I couldn't see myself, but I saw through my eyes as Death Gigas broke one of the restraints with a mighty roar.

The others wouldn't break but the demon didn't care, he lunged at Hojo and nearly reached him. I felt the pain of my- our- throat tearing. He leapt back and called in his guards. They shot me several times, and eventually, Gigas backed off and I was left to take the bullets. I coughed out blood and glared at him, falling back to the table. The pain was nearly unbearable, but I had faced worse through the past few months. I coughed again, turning my head to the side so I wouldn't choke on the blood. He stepped into my line of sight with the gun pointed on me. That's the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness.

I opened my eyes and swore I was either dead or hallucinating. Lucretcia stood over me with one of my pistols. I watched her warily, not quite sure what was going on. She was dead, I had WATCHED her die. I didn't know what to make of her right then. She stared at me, her mouth moving as if she was trying to decide what, if anything, to say. I didn't make a move. I knew it would probably scare her. She raised the gun and placed it to my head. I gulped and tried to speak. Nothing came out. She finally opened her mouth to speak softly, as if to herself. "Sinner…"

My eyes widened and as if in slow motion, I saw her squeeze the trigger.

I heard Chaos roar and felt my skull split open.

* * *

Review pleazums!


	25. Chapter 25

I've decided not to play the game and get exact quotes. I'm altering it much from the original story. Vincent will say some things he didn't in the game, and certain things will happen out of order or differently, but you know what? Too bad. I'm not playing the game till I have to for Cloud's story. Then when they meet up. I'll start making this conform. All shall make sense eventually!

* * *

It was dark for a long time. I was in a sort of suspended state of consciousness, I guess. I remember being surrounded by the presences of the demons. The longer it went, the more primal and outspoken they became. Chaos went from helping me stay afloat in the nothingness to sneering at my weakness, screaming about my sins and snarling at my attempts to fight him back. I kept thinking, "If this is what eternity will be like, what did I do to send me to Hell?"

Chaos sifted through my memories, turning my mind against itself. Turning every action into a terrible sin that I could never repent for. For a while I tried to ignore it. I thought of Falcon and how he saw me. Soon, Chaos even tainted those thoughts. Eventually, he had me believing I was nothing but a curse to him, that I tempted him and caused his death. Just like Lucretcia. I ranted and raved for a time, forcing these thoughts away. The other demons found this the most entertaining. It seemed like it didn't last long.

I felt my sanity slipping away, leaving me numb and emotionless. All I really felt was the weight of my sins against mankind, and an unbearable desire to tear into Hojo's flesh. I backed down from the fight with the demons. I let myself drift and listen to their ravings. I absorbed Chaos's manipulations and slowly lost my grip on reality. I didn't know how long this lasted, honestly. I couldn't imagine that I was still alive. I had been shot point blank and obviously my skull and brain were demolished.

The moment I felt my body again, I believed it to be an odd illusion made by my shattered mind. But no, I had a body still. A body that was intact and functional, though felt rusted and unused. Chaos's ravings for me to open my eyes, for me to get up and discover my resting place went ignored. I remained there a long while. My sense of time was skewed. I found I had no idea how long I had been there, or where I was. I knew I was underground, by an odd sense I had no explanation of. The air I breathed was stale, and I felt I was in a small space within a larger open space. I never once even twitched. I was too ashamed to rise and return to the world. I had to repent for my sin until such a time as the gods granted me death, even if they never did. That was my punishment.

My eyes shot open when I heard a door open in the distance.

I suddenly knew where I was. I was in the basement of the Shinra Mansion. The door I heard was the front door. This seemed unreasonable, given my distance and the sheer rock and earth between me and it, but I knew that's exactly what it was. I saw I was in a wooden coffin. Hojo must have put me there when he found my shattered form. I felt my skull was intact, and my hair was oddly long, considering he had shaved my head at some point during his experiments. I didn't feel any damage to my skull, but I would have to look to know for sure. My gauntlet moved fluidly as I flexed my hand. I investigated a weight on my lap and found the shotgun Falcon had given me. It was loaded.

I listened to the footsteps upstairs. I figured there were three of them. I heard sounds of a struggle and the screech of a monster in pain. My face furrowed in concentration. That's when I became aware of fabric over my mouth. I felt over myself and noticed I was dressed oddly. I felt leather covering my torso and legs, and a fabric over my shoulders attached to the cowl over my face. I wasn't sure at all why I was dressed like that. I also wasn't sure how I was still alive. With a rumbling from Chaos, I came to the conclusion that I had been turned into a monster as a punishment for my sins.

The footsteps were coming steadily closer. Then they veered off and split up. Eventually, they converged upon a point and there was a large fight. I distinguished one male voice and two female voices. One of the females had a strange vibration to her voice that sparked a growl from Chaos, though even he was hard pressed to determine why. The male didn't speak much. He made small directive orders and a few hard grunts. The other female was quite loud. She screamed once, and I had a sense she had been hit, but immediately the male quieted her and growled lowly. I was eternally curious as to whom these people were, and what it was they were fighting.

The monster, as the inhuman screech told me it could only be that, soon fell to their hands. They began moving again, talking about a strange key.

"Where do you think this goes?" asked the second female.

"I'm not sure. We explored every single bit of this place." This was the strange female. Other than the odd vibrations, she sounded like a normal woman.

There was a thud and the male groaned. I felt flares of energy, which Chaos told me were mako energy. They stopped after a few moments and the male groaned again.

"No, we haven't." They tried to get more out of him, but he remained silent. Soon I heard stone grating on stone and the females gasping.

"What is this place?" That was the normal female. She sounded frightened.

"Cloud, how did you know this was here?" The strange one sounded cautious, but I heard them beginning to descend wooden stairs. I knew they were getting closer. I heard a tug on a door, and a key fitted in to the lock. I felt a rush of air and a gasp. My eyes shut, knowing I would be woken.

"No!"

"Tifa, there's something in there."

"Yeah, a body! You can't just start opening coffins!"

These were the male and the normal female.

"Tifa, the others are empty. The lids are off. The dust isn't as thick on them. This one is so caked in dust that there was a reason it was left shut. I feel something alive in there."

"A monster!"

He sighed and I felt him touch the edge of the lid. He lifted it away and sent dust billowing throughout the room. The girls coughed as it surrounded them, and I opened my eyes.

The male was blonde and had glowing blue eyes. He was dressed strangely, with a large sword on his back. He leapt back and raised it, but he seemed unable to use it correctly. As if he was new at it. I sat up and glanced around at them. My body was hard to move. I opened my mouth to speak, but all that emerged was a strangled gurgle.

A brunette female in pink stepped closer. "My name is Aerith. This is Cloud, and this is Tifa. We're not here to hurt you."

This was the woman with the strange voice. I looked at the one named Tifa. She was looking at me terrified. I thought my new face must be terrifying to behold, and Aerith was quite brave to approach me. I swallowed and tried again to speak.

"If you are not here to hurt me, why then are you here?" I was shocked at my own voice. It was insanely deep and gravelly, and it hurt my throat to use it.

She frowned. "It's quite a long story."

I just stared at her and she looked to Cloud to explain.

"The best way to say it is that we're here to find out how we can stop Sephiroth, and how I'm connected to all of this."

I thought for a moment. The name tugged on my mind, but I was positive I hadn't heard it before. "Why do you believe this place will give you the answers you seek?"

He frowned. "I'm not sure at all, really. We've been following his trail. Our best idea is here in Nibelhiem. I don't know how, but I'm drawn to this place, too. But that can't be right. I've never been here." He winced and staggered, and I felt the mako rush again. "No, I've been here before. Something about the labs, or maybe the library. Something… Something about Hojo." He shook his head. "But that can't be right. He was in Midgar the entire time I was here. I think…"

I snarled. "Hojo. What do you know of that man?"

His eyes seemed to clear. "He's the top scientist of Shinra. He was in charge of the SOLDIER program and of Jenova and he created Sephiroth."

I recognized only one piece of that, but it didn't matter. "You are after this Sephiroth person, and he was created by Hojo?" They nodded. "If I go with you, will I get a chance to destroy that scientist?" They looked at each other and nodded.

I nodded and stood slowly. "Then I will go with you. Tell me more of this mission as we travel."

Cloud nodded and eyed me cautiously. "You'll pick it up soon enough."

Aerith smiled and held a hand out to me. I looked at it a moment before reaching out. I stopped, though, seeing my left hand. It was the golden gauntlet. I put it down at my side, hiding it in my cloak. She frowned, but left me to step out on my own, allowing my body to readjust. I was slouched slightly, since my back wouldn't straighten properly. My hair swung forward, and I saw it went to my lower back. I used my human hand to push it back in annoyance. Aerith smiled at me, as if she had an idea. I just blinked and turned to Cloud, still pushing my hair back. He was quite short, even by average standards, but it seemed I had grown taller. Even hunched, I towered over him. Tifa seemed transfixed with my hair, and it disturbed me slightly.

I looked back at Aerith. "Who is the leader here?"

She shrugged slightly. "Cloud is, but all of us work equally. It's just that he's the one who was in SOLDIER, and he has the training to lead."

I frowned. "What is SOLDIER?"

He cleared his throat and I turned to him. "SOLDIER is an elite group of fighters for the Shinra military. Each member receives mako treatments to enhance their abilities." My blood ran cold. I had been the subject he perfected those with. "There are three classes. First class is the toughest. There were very few left in the end of the program, and none at the time of its destruction. The greatest SOLDIER was the first, General Sephiroth. His comrades deserted and then he went insane here in Nibelhiem, burning the village to the ground and sending himself into the mako reactor on the mountain."

I had an eerie feeling about the story. "How is it that you know this?"

"I was there." There was another mako flash in the air. "I was the last First class SOLDIER. I had tried to stop him, but," more flashes, "but I don't know what happened after. That's what I have to find out."

Aerith looked pained for a second before composing herself. I decided to ask her about this later. "So now you are trying to find him?"

He nodded. "He has a delusion that he's a god and can destroy all life on this world, just to restart elsewhere. But the only thing is, he does have that power, somehow. He just needs to figure out how to use it."

I had a feeling I knew more than I thought about this. "So you three are trying to stop him."

Tifa spoke up timidly. "We have a few more people. They're out at Cosmo Canyon, trying to help our friend."

I nodded, having heard of Cosmo Canyon before. "Well then, where to now?"

Cloud shrugged. "We investigate what's down here."

I nodded, exiting the room with a shuffling walk. My legs felt like lead still. I recognized the area as the labs beneath the mansion. "These are Hojo's labs." I crossed to the main lab room, where my son was born. Inside was a collection of tubes filled with mako, and two that were broken. I felt more of the mako flashes from Cloud, and turned to see him slumping against the wall. He was staring at the broken tubes. I went over and noticed scratching on the glass. I couldn't make it out, but I knew there were words scratched there. I turned back to him. "These were not here last I was in this room."

Cloud composed himself and eyed me. "Why were you in that coffin?"

"To atone for my sins." Aerith bit her lip and looked away from me.

Cloud pushed further. "Why are you in this building, how do you know the setup of the labs?"

I looked at the table that Lucretcia had given birth on. "I once had the misfortune of being a visitor to these labs."

He snarled, which surprised me. He seemed to be worked into a bit of a rage. "Were you a scientist here? Or an experiment?"

I looked down. "What do I _look_ like?"

Aerith tried to calm Cloud down, but he was inconsolable. "I don't remember you being here!"

Tifa gasped, pulling Aerith away. I raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember you being here either."

He frowned and clutched his head. "Was… Was I here?"

I shrugged. "I feel many have been here."

Aerith stepped closer to me. "Excuse me, but what is your name?"

I tucked my chin further into my cowl. "Vincent Valentine."

She smiled. "Vincent, let's go search another room for clues. We'll leave Cloud and Tifa to this room."

I paused, but she took my human hand and pulled on it gently. I followed her to the next room. The door was rusted shut. I moved her aside and slammed my shoulder against it. The force was enough to break down the door, but I also felt and heard my shoulder break. I grimaced and stepped aside for her to enter. In a few moments, it was healed and I had full motion again. She seemed not to notice, and stepped into the room with a grimace of her own. I looked in, and saw that the lab room had been mine once, and it had fallen into disrepair. I ran my hand over the table of tools, noting with a twinge that it had a thick layer of dust. I wondered how long I had been in that coffin.

She turned to me. "Who are you, where do you come from, why are you here. Tell me these things. I need to know." The earnest look in her eyes made me cave.

"Very well." Chaos shied away while she stared me down. "I was here on assignment from the Turks. I was to guard Professor Hojo and Professor Crescent." I felt a twinge when I said her name. "Things became difficult, and I was captured and used as a test subject. Eventually, I was shot. I assumed I was dead, until you three came and stomped through the mansion."

She frowned. "What year did all of this happen?" I told her and she gasped. "But-but-how?"

I eyed her. "What is the problem?"

She swallowed. "You've been in that coffin for 26 years."

My blood ran cold. "26 years?" She nodded. I turned to the table and steadied myself on it. "Aerith, please leave the room." She froze. "Leave. Now." She ran out without a backwards glance. I grabbed a metal tray and wiped it off with my cloak. In it, I was almost exactly the same as ever. I was paler, and my eyes were nearly glowing, but I was the same.

For 26 years.

I threw it across the room. My eyes trained on the table I had been strapped to for seven months or more. I gripped the edge and tore it from the floor, heaving it at the table of tools. I brought up my shotgun and shot out the dead computer screens. I tore the room to shreds. By the time I was calmed, I was sitting on top of a pile of mangled equipment, holding a glass jar that I knew had once held mako. I saw a tiny drop of the chemical left in the bottom, and stared at it a long time. Cloud stepped up to my side at some point.

"I hope you weren't here, Cloud. This place is nothing but sin."

He took a deep breath. "I… I found Hojo's records. You… We need to look at them."

I looked up at him. "You may do as you wish. I do not need to remember what I am."

He shook his head. "There's a large file on you. There's a tab that says 'Sephiroth'. I think it's important."

I stood and followed him into the other lab room. I saw nothing in the file I hadn't already known. Until I got to the tab on Sephiroth. The more I read, the more I felt I had to go with them on the mission. My baby boy, an experiment and killing machine. I put down the file. There was nothing about Chaos and the demons. I clearly had to search for that "It is nothing. I was the first to receive mako treatments, and he was the second. He perfected the technique on me; that is all."

Aerith looked at me quizzically, but left it. I had the strangest feeling she saw right through me. But no, that couldn't be. Cloud was still hunched over his file. Another folder was open as well, and it was titled "Specimen Z". Cloud's was "Specimen C: Code Alpha". I hadn't a clue what that meant. I took a deep breath and bowed my head. "Is there any sign of his trail?"

Cloud didn't respond. He simply stood, the two files in hand. His was almost as thick as mine. He walked out and towards the exit. I picked up my file and glanced around. I had an eerie feeling I would return someday. I assumed it would be to finish out the end of the world in atonement. After I killed Hojo, of course.

It was strange. These people brought back a part of me I had lost all those years in that coffin.


	26. Chapter 26

_**Bathe in the strange one's blood.**_

I ignored Chaos and his unexplainable hatred of Aerith. We left the labs with the files. As I turned the corner of the dusty underground hallway, I extended my arm to halt the others. There was a creature standing there, staring into my lab room. It turned to me and gurgled quietly. It had once been human, that was clear, but it was now more monster than man. From the scars on its throat, it looked like Hojo had removed the vocal cords of this creature as well. I briefly put my human hand to my own throat, wondering why mine were replaced.

"It looks like a leftover experiment. Stand back. I do not know what kind of enhancements it has."

I walked forward and unholstered my gun. The creature saw and lumbered forward at lightning speed. I unloaded a round into its forehead just as the strange claws grazed my arm. I winced at the sharp sound of nails scraping metal, and looked down at my arm. The golden gauntlet was tarnished with age. If the thick dust matting my hair wasn't enough to prove the passing of time, the state of my metal arm solidified the notion. I hid it in the folds of my cloak again.

_**Didn't I just say something about a bath? Get that dust out with the sweet candy blood of the strange female.**_

I ignored him again, leading the others safely out of the mansion. The daylight was impossibly bright. I staggered a bit on the way out the door, covering my eyes with my arm. When I squinted back into the sunlight, I saw Tifa and Aerith had continued down the road. Cloud was beside me, waiting with a strange emotion in his eyes. I vaguely recognized pity mixed with a general sense of confusion. He looked quite as lost as I believe I felt. I followed after the girls.

Cloud led us up the mountain trail. "The others in our group are Barret, Yuffie, and Red. Red was also one of Hojo's experiments. They stopped in Cosmo Canyon. We're headed to Rocket Town to meet with them. They were supposed to go around the mountain while we investigated the reactor here. Once we meet up, we'll head out on the next lead. The trail seems to go to Wutai. It's reasonable that he would go there, after all the time he spent there in the war. It's the only plan we have, though, so we need a plane or a boat to get there."

I nodded quickly. "I speak Wutaian."

"Good, so does Yuffie. That way if we split up, we'll have another translator." He went quiet for some time. It suited me just fine. My throat was starting to ache from suddenly using my long forgotten vocal cords. There were sharp pains every time I did more than breathe. I was never very social anyway.

We went right up to a large building that hadn't been there last time I trekked up the mountain. Actually, it was right on top of the place Lucretcia and I had our picnic. I felt more of the Mako spikes, and I turned to Cloud once again. I wondered what was causing this disturbance, but I couldn't say for sure that he would be able to answer. He made a beeline for the entrance of the building.

I hesitated. "What is this building?"

Tifa ran in after Cloud, leaving Aerith to answer me. "This is Mako Reactor 01. These are everywhere, dredging up Mako from the Planet." I asked her what exactly Mako was. "It's the lifeblood of the Planet. Shinra is using it as a power source, for both electricity and people. This is what they used to create SOLDIERs. It's also a powerful drug."

I heard a clanging sound from deep within the reactor, so I followed the others inside with Aerith close by. I didn't see them straight away, but had to follow the Mako spikes that were getting stronger by the second. We arrived in a room filled with pods. Steps led to a door with a faded plaque reading "Jenova".

I stepped over Cloud on my way to the door. The Jenova Project was the one Hojo had used Lucretcia in. I didn't get to read much of the notes on it, but the project was so closely interwoven with the fate of my son that just the name drew me like a magnet. I ripped open the door and inside was a large pod. The glass was shattered and the life support systems had nothing to support. Whatever Jenova was, it wasn't there anymore.

Cloud pushed past me.

"Sephiroth was here. A long time ago. We were here. Me, Sephiroth, and… and Zack." He fell to his knees, hands to his head. "Urrgh. We… we were here for a mission. We had to inspect the Reactor. The villagers said it was unstable, that the monsters in the area were mutating from the Mako. We came in here and Seph saw something in there. Saw Jenova. Said his mother's name was Jenova. He… Seph went crazy. Locked himself in the mansion. Found research notes. He was an experiment. Made from Jenova. Burnt down the village. He came here and we- Zack and I- tried to take him down. Called us traitors. Tried to kill me. I threw him into the Reactor core." He curled in on himself. "Oh Gaia, what have I done? Where's Zack? Where did they take us?" I placed my hand on his shoulder and he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. "The mansion. I was there. Zack was there. Specimen C. Specimen Z. He saved me. I… Where did he go?"

I couldn't say that I understood. It seemed like he had lost some of his memories, but that didn't explain the tears on Aerith's face, or the queasy look on Tifa's. I left it alone.

"Take some time to compose yourself. Later you will read those files and they will likely have the answers you seek." I looked up at the pod. "There are many sins Hojo must atone for. Everything he touches knows suffering, in some fashion or another." I pulled him roughly to his feet. "For the moment, there is work to be done. There are no answers hidden in this room."

He left the reactor without another word. We followed him in silence deep into the mountain. The only sounds were our footsteps and Tifa sniffling quietly. I had a thought to try to lighten her spirit, but didn't know how. I remained silent.

I took the time to inspect my gauntlet. I tried to clean it with a corner of my cloak, but none of the grime came away. I sighed, frustrated, which caused Cloud to snap his head in my direction. The sound, small as it was, had shocked him from his stupor.

He looked to my arm, curiosity barely concealed. "What happened to your arm?" I merely looked back at him wordlessly. "Ah, well, Barret has an unusual limb, too. His arm is a machine gun."

I raised an eyebrow. "A machine gun."

Cloud chucked and turned back to the path we were on. There were Mako pools every so often, and the stench of it made my eyes water. We eventually entered a large cavern. The only other opening to the cavern was on the other side of a large sleeping dragon.

Tifa cried out, and silenced her with a wave. Cloud looked at me with concern. "Have you ever fought a dragon?"

"Yes. You?"

"Yeah." He winced. "I think."

I sighed and motioned for them to wait. I thought back to the last time I faced a dragon. It had been smaller than this one, if that could be believed. I moved carefully forward, keeping my footsteps alarmingly silent against the stone floor, despite the obvious clang that metal boots should have on any hard surface. I made a mental note to get new shoes at our next stop. The golden ones I had on were impractical and a bit silly looking.

As I approached a good range, I readied my shotgun and aimed carefully. Cloud was on my right, sword out at an awkward angle. It seemed my thoughts were now prone to bouncing around, and I wondered how long he had been using that sword. I heard a small scuffle of shoes and knew the girls had taken up a position a little further away, cautious but ready. I didn't fail to notice one giant eye snap open at the little sound. I wondered if this was a nest mate of the one I felled so many years ago.

I fired straight into the beast's eye.


End file.
